Naruto Uzumaki, the Shy Jinchūriki
by AlphaMike369
Summary: Years of abuse from his fellow villagers have destroyed the young Jinchūriki's self-esteem. Can he recover it? And what about the strange power within him?
1. Intoduction

INTRODUCTION

A/N: Hey I'm AlphaMike369. Welcome to my first fanfic, "Naruto Uzumaki, the Shy Jinchūriki." That's right, Naruto is not the hyperactive, loudmouth, knuckleheaded ninja we know and love. He is shy, timid, and has low self-esteem. This fic is rated M for violence and dark elements. I'll try not to get too detailed but I still recommend steeling your stomachs.

Before we start, lets get a few things straight. One, I do not own Naruto. Two, I have other priorities like college, so updates **will take time**. Three, this is a fanfic, so no one complain if I don't follow the canon. Four, there will be no honorifics (unless the sensei part of a name like Kakashi-sensei for example counts), jutsu will be in english (example: Fire style: Fireball Jutsu, also if someone could help me find the names of more jutsu that would help), and there won't be many Japanese words (except baka which means idiot). I've only watched the show dubbed, so I don't know as much as manga readers and those watching it subbed. **SO NO SPOILERS!** Five, for any pervs out there looking for lemons, don't get your hopes up. I don't get into that stuff. However, depending on how well this stories turns out, I **MIGHT** ask someone to write a lemon or two for me, just to appeal to you people and have some funny Pervy Sage moments. For those who don't like lemons, don't worry they won't be important and if there are any, they will be labeled so you can skip them. Six, there will be Sakura and Sasuke bashing. I don't hate them, but I'm not a fan of them either. I'll start during the acadamy day, work though some of his genin days. And MAYBE get into shippuden. If I do get into shippuden, my progress with the anime dubbed will reflect how it turns out.

This is just an introduction to tell people what to expect. And I promise I will try to give this story a good ending. I won't just end it with a list of what happens later or abandon the story. But again **THIS STORY WILL TAKE TIME SO DON'T RUSH ME TOO MUCH.** Oh, and one last thing, while I am open to suggestion, **THIS STORY IS MINE AND I DECIDE HOW THINGS HAPPEN**. That said I will ask for your opinions should I become indeciesive or don't care about something. And I'm not saying I don't want to hear your ideas, just don't complain if I don't use them. I hope you readers enjoy my story. Thank you.

Alpha: Well, better get started.

Naruto: Hey man!

Alpha: Oh hey Naru... NARUTO!? What the... When did... How did you...

Shikamaru: Lady Tsunade sent us to welcome you as the newest Naruto fanfic writer. It's a drag but I won't go against the Hokage's orders.

Alpha: Shikamaru, you too?

Shino: (from behind Alpha) Why didn't you notice me? I got here first.

Alpha: GAH... oh uh hey Shino.

Shino: At least you recognized me. (Looks at Naruto)

Naruto: Shino, are you still upset about that? I said I was sorry.

Alpha: Will someone explain HOW your here? Your fictional anime characters, how can you be even be here?

Naruto: Oh well you see uh...

Shino: You forgot, didn't you?

Naruto: Wellll...

Shikamaru: (Face palm) Every single time. Troublesome. It's simple, when you started writing Naruto fanfic, you created a personal link to our world.

Shino: This link alows you to interact with us as well as the rest of the Naruto cast.

Alpha: So I'll also see Neji, Kakashi, Hinata, and the others.

Shikamaru: Yeah.

Shino: Correct.

Naruto: ABSOLUTLY!

Alpha: So does this mean I can touch you and you can touch me?

Shikamaru: Yeah, why do you ask?

Alpha: I'm afraid my work will insult Sakura and she'll hit me with her super strenght.

Naruto: Yeah, Sakura does have anger issues.

Sakura: WHAT WAS THAT, NARUTO?

Naruto: Ahh S..Sakura hey. When did you...(Sakura punches Naruto, sending him flying)

Alpha: Wellll I better get to writing. (Leaves before Sakura can punch him)


	2. Chapter 1 A Friend?

A/N: For those who are complaining about my intro, its purpose was to explain what to expect out of this story. That way you know whether or not you really want to read it. But now the story begins. Oh and unless I say otherwise, assume everyone is dressed the same as in part 1. But at the end of each chapter with me and the cast, they are shippuden.

Disclamer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, I'd be in it.

"normal speech"

" _action_ " (example: "I _hiccup_ have the hiccups.")

' _thoughts_ '

 **"9-Tails"**

 _ **'9-Tails thoughts'**_

Chapter 1: A Friend?

A small figure traveled through the shadows. Once the coast was clear, the blond boy moved into the light and headed home. For years, Naruto Uzumaki's life has been a living hell. With no family of his own he was raised in the orphanage. During his time there, the staff would glare at him and the other orphans would either push him around or avoid him like the plague. When adults came to adopt a child, they would always look at him like he was some kind of devil before adopting another child. The worst part was he never understood why. Finally, when he was 6 years old, the orphanage decided he was old to fend for himself and kicked him out. The Third Hokage heard about this and, being one of the few people who liked the boy, decided to get Naruto his own apartment as well as an allowance for food and other necessities.

Despite Sarutobi's kindness, things only got worse for Naruto. Most of the villagers looked at him with contempt and would call him names like "Demon brat" or "monster." Parent kept their kid away from him or encouarged them to hate him too. Many shopkeepers refused to do business with him or even allow him in their stores. People would even attack him when he was alone or in an alley. The Hokage had made it illegal to harm or kill the boy, but most of the shinobi sent to look after the young Uzumaki would simply look the other way and wait until the last second to save him. Strangely, though, Naruto was always left alone on his birthday, and sometimes he thought he saw a masked man with white hair watching over him. He always dismissed this as his imagination however.

All the constant hate and abuse took a toll on the poor Uzumaki's mind. His self-esteem deteriorated as a result and Naruto grew to fear people. Even after joining the academy, he did his best to kept his distance from the other kids. He never spoke unless he had to, and when he did, he would always stutter. In spite of his efforts, however, Naruto almost always found himself being chased or beaten. It was difficult to hide because of the orange outfit he was forced to wear. None of the clothing stores would sell him anything else. At the academy when he tried to separate himself from the other students, bullies would follow him and constantly make fun of his shy demeanour or repeat what they heard the adults say about him, though sometimes he managed to hide himself and avoid them.

Today, Naruto was returning home from the academy, hiding in the shadows, like he always did. It was his second year at the ninja academy. When he reached his home, he looked around to make sure no one was around. The streets looked empty, so he stepped out of the shadows. _'Maybe my luck is starting to turn around,'_ he though. He managed to get there from the academy without drawing unwanted attention.

He walked toward the door, but before he reached it villagers popped out of hiding and blocked the way to his house. Naruto turned around to run away, but found himself surrounded when more villagers appeared. As the his assailants approached, he noticed one of them had a Leaf headband signifying that he was a shinobi. Naruto looked into the ninja's eyes and instantly knew what was going to happen. He stumbled back and fell on his rump. He looked the shinobi and asked the same question he always ask his assaulters, "W-w-why?" Naruto never understood what he did to deserve such hate.

"Payback, demon," the ninja answered, just as everyone else did. That was all they ever said and Naruto never understood it. He had no recollection of ever wronging anyone. All he knew was that for as long as he could remember the villagers treated him with distain. It made no sense to him.

 _'What could I have done to him, to any of them?'_ was the question he constantly asked himself. _'Why do they consider me a demon.'_ Naruto's eyes filled with fear and terror as the villager prepared to strike.

Just then, the shinobi punched Naruto right in the face, sending him on his back. Before he could curl into a ball, the others started attacking with a barrage of punches and kicks, not letting up for a single moment. Naruto cried in pain as tears and blood ran from his face. He couldn't fight back, he couldn't blackout. All he could do was wait in agony until they were done with him.  
-

Hinata Hyūga watched as shinobi covered in red and blue paint ran past her hiding spot. It took everything ounce of strength not to laugh as they passed her by. The Hyūga heiress had a reputation as the Pranking Queen of the Hidden Leaf. Of course, this often caused tension between her and her father along with the other elders from the main branch. They often found her actions to be inappropriate for a Hyūga, especially one of her stature. Still, she didn't care. She knew they couldn't do anything too extreme in fear that it would affect their reputation more than her pranks. Besides, she had one of the best scores in taijutsu, so she wasn't considered worthless. Also, though he would never admit it, Hinata was a lot like her mother and remined Hiashi of his late wife and even found some of her pranks humorous, though again, he'd never admit it.

Knowing she would be scolded for her tomfoolery, she decided to take the scenic route home. As she walked she saw a group of people gathered around something. It looked like they were attacking someone, an intruder perhaps. She stopped and was about to activate her byakugan when the crowd dispersed. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw they had beaten a child. The boy was battered and brusied with a gash in his left arm. His blond hair was covered in dirt and blood ran from his nose down the whisker marks on his face.

 _'Wait a minute. I recognize this boy. His name is Naruto.'_ Hinata had seen him in her classes at the academy. She remembered him being shy all the time, but never paid much attencion to him and didn't know him that well. She was always either planning her pranks, running from her victims (usually her instructors), placing the blame on others like Kiba, or training. Even so, Hinata couldn't think of any reason why anyone would want to hurt him.

She watched, unable to move from the shock. The idea that the villagers would be so ruthless to a kid was appalling. She snapped out of it when she saw Naruto pick up a kunai left behind by one of his assailants. When he brought it to his chest, a terrible thought ran through her head. _'Is he going to... NO he wouldn't! Would he?'_ Hinata rushed to the boy. She had to stop him. She had to save him.  
-

The villager finally got bored of beating on the Uzumaki boy. They left him there, broken and in pain. It was the worst beating of his life. He was caked in dirt. Hot tears and warm blood ran down his battered face. His nose was broken, as were quite a few of his bones. The shinobi had taken out his kunai and cut his left arm. He laid there, not noticing the girl nearby, wanting the pain to stop, wanting it all to stop. He opened his eyes, as he had closed them during the assault, and saw the kunai the ninja used. He looked at it and saw an exit from his suffering. With the remainder of his strength, he grabbed the weapon and placed it over his heart. _'Maybe now I can meet my parents, whoever they were. Maybe it won't be so bad in the afterlife.'_

Naruto got ready to deliver the killing blow to himself. He had no doubts. But before he could plunge the kunai into his heart, he heard someone shout "STOP!"  
-

Hinata shouted at the top of her lungs, "STOP!" before she knocked the kunai out of his hands. Naruto's eyes shot up. When he saw her, fear crept into him as he tried to back away. His body was too damaged and was unable to respond.

Hinata looked into Naruto's blue eyes and saw they were filled with fear. _'Is he...afraid of me? He must think I'm going to hurt him like those villagers did.'_ She tried to calm him down. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you like those villagers did," she said in a soothing voice.

Naruto was surprised and skeptical at first. But then he saw no malice or hate in her eyes like he did in others. What he saw was foreign to him. _'Could she be...concerned about me?'_ Naruto relaxed a bit but kept his guard up in case this was a trick.

Hinata could tell he didn't fully trust her, but noticed he calmed down a bit. Finally she asked him, "Why did you do that?"

"W-what?"

"You heard me. Why did you try to kill yourself? What were you thinking? I know you just went through something horrible but this is a little extreme. Didn't you consider how your friends would react to this, or your family for that matter?" she said. Cleary she didn't pay much attencion what people said about him.

Naruto lowered his head. "M-my f-family is dead," he stuttered in a low voice. "I, I l-live alone t-there," he pointed to he apartment behind him. "As, as for f-f-friends, I..." he didn't finish his sentense. He was too damaged to stay conscious. His body went limp and collapsed on the ground.

"NARUTO!" She was worried about him. His injuries looked serious. She had to get him to a hospital. Carefully, she pick him up and rushed to the hospital. As she traveled, she thought about what he said. Although he collapsed before finishing his sentense, his sad tone of voice was all the answer she needed.

On her way she looked at the civilians she passed. They all had strange looks on them that felt familiar. That's when it hit her. The look Neji gave her whenever they saw one another. She couldn't believe it! It was the very same look, and it was being directed at Naruto! To say she was pissed would be a major understatment. She may not know Naruto very well, but she could tell he was not a bad person. All Hyūga are skilled at reading others. It made lying to her father pretty much impossible. Alone, no friends, no family, and hated by all. No one deserved that, least of all Naruto. "Don't worry Naruto, I'm going to change that!" she whispered to the unconscious boy. "Just hang in there."  
-

Iruka had finally finished grading paper from the quiz he gave. He must of his students got a B- or C on it. Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyūga, two of his top students, both scored a B+. Surprisingly, one student got an A+, Naruto Uzumaki. Though not his best student, Iruka believed Naruto did have great potential. The boy would listen in class and take notes. However, his low self-esteem badly hurt his taijutsu and ninjutsu skills. As for shuriken and kunai skills, they were pretty average.

Iruka wished he could do more for Naruto. He too grew up alone without a family, so he knew some of Naruto's pain. He decided to go and pay Naruto visit that night when suddenly he saw Hinata running toward him with something on her back. It was Naruto! And he didn't look good!

"Hinata, what happen?!" Iruka yelled with concern.

"Iruka-sensei, I was passing by when I saw a bunch of villagers attack Naruto in front of his apartment. He's in really bad shape!" Hinata quickly said. She decided it was best to leave out the attempted suicide.

"Could you identify any of them?"

"No, but I know one was a shinobi, probably a jonin."

"Alright, hurry to the hospital! I'll alert the Hokage." And with that, Iruka rushed off to the Hokage Mansion. _'Please be alright Naruto.'  
_ -

"... and that's the mission report."

"Good work Kakashi. You should go home and get some rest," said the Hokage. It was going to be another long night of paperwork for him so he figured he might as well start now. He took his pipe and inhaled deeply.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," replied Kakashi as he pull out a certain book written by a certain Sanin.

Just then, Iruka burst though the door, followed by a guard who tried to stop him. "Lord Third! Naruto was attacked and is being brought to the hospital!"

"WHAT?" The Hokage dropped pipe at the same time Kakashi dropped his book. "What happened?!"

"According to Hinata, Naruto was attacked by some villagers in front of his apartment. Apparently one of the assailants was a jonin. As we speak Hinata is bringing Naruto to the hospital."

The Hokage's anger was clearly visible on his face. There weren't any ANBU he trusted available today, so he sent a jonin to look after the boy. He turn to the guard. "Get the shinobi who was responsible for watching Naruto. Take him to Ibiki and tell Ibiki the situation. I want the fucking bastards who attack Naruto against the law I laid PUNISHED."

Everyone stared at the Hokage. It was rare for the Hokage to be this mad, but it was even rarer to hear him curse. Recovering from the shock, the guard rushed to follow his order. The jonin was about to have a REALLY bad day. Ibiki's method were a nightmare on his good days, and he was a good friend of Minato.

The Hokage calmed down a bit. "Kakashi, I know you just came back from a mission, but..."

"Don't worry Lord Third. I'll protect Naruto." With that, Kakashi disappeared, moving toward the hospital.

"Damn it. If only that fox had never come," said the Hokage.

Iruka knew what he meant. The day of Naruto's birth, the 9-Tailed Fox attacked. Many shinobi and civilians alike were killed that day, including Iruka's parents as well as Naruto's mother, Kushina. In order to stop the tailed beast, fourth Hokage Minato used a forbidden sealing jutsu that sealed the 9-Tails in his son, Naruto, at the cost of his life. This meant Naruto was the only thing keeping the Hidden Leaf Village safe from the tailed beast. However, the villagers were filled with anger and rage at the loss of many friends and loved ones, and so that anger was directed at Naruto himself. Iruka still habored hatred toward the fox, but never at Naruto. He knew Naruto was just as much a victim of the fox as anyone. To protect Naruto, the Hokage made it illegal to talk about the fox, in order to kept the younger generation from treating him like an outcast. It worked, to some degree. The youths had no idea Naruto was a Jinchūriki, not even Naruto himself. However, most parents have done all they can to keep their children from associating with the young Jinchūriki. As a result, some avoided him and some bullied him.

"By the way, Lord Hokage, I apologize for barging in." said Iruka.

"It's alright Iruka, I just hope Naruto will be alright."  
-

Hinata arrived at the hospital and got to work looking for a doctor. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she finally managed to corner one. "Hey, this guy needs medical attention."

Alright, let me just..." the doctor stopped when he saw Naruto. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm too busy right now to treat him," he said with a tone of disgust.

Hinata grabbed the doctor by his coat and pulls him down to look him in the eye. "Now look here Doc, just a second ago you were ready to help him, then you see who he is and NOW YOU BUSY?! You listen to me! Either you help him or YOU'LL need a doctor!" She lets him go.

The doctor just stood there for a few seconds, then quickly and reluctantly took the boy to one of the room. Hinata followed, smiling triumphantly. Had she activated her Byakugan or looked behind her, she would have seen a white-haired jonin with his kunai drawn.  
-

The next day Naruto woke up. He was still a little sore, but felt much better than he did yesterday. He always healed faster than others, though he never knew why.

"Hey, your finally awake."

Naruto turned and was surprised to find the girl from yesterday. She was grinning at him.

"How are you feeling?"

"B-better. Um, h-how did I g-get h-here?"

"I brought you here, duh."

"Y-you did? T-thanks."

"No problem Naruto." _'Looks like he has a big stuttering problem. I'll have to help him with that at some point.'_

Naruto looked a bit surprised. "Y-you know who I, I am?" He figured the reason she was so nice to him was because she didn't know who he was.

"Of course, we're in the same class. Or do you not recognize me?" she teased.

He didn't get it. "N-no, no I r-remember!" He did in fact know exactly who she was. "You, your L-lady Hinata of the H-hyūga Clan."

"Relax, Naruto, I was joking. And anyway we're friend so you don't have to be so formal. Just Hinata will do."

 _'Friends, did she say friends.'_ Naruto pinched himself under the covers to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Hinata suppressed a laugh. She could tell his mind was trying to process the idea of friendship. "That's right Naruto, we're friends starting today."

A smile creeped on the young boy's face. _'A friend. Finally, I have a friend.'  
_ -

Kakashi stood hidden outside the room. He overheard the whole conversation between Naruto and Hinata. _'Sensei, forgive me for not being able to take better care of your son, but now he has a friend who will do a better job of taking care of him then I ever could.'  
_ -

Alpha: Finally, Chapter 1 complete. That was painful.

Naruto: Your telling me! Did you have make me suffer like that?

Alpha: Unfortunatly, yes. I may have gone a wee bit overboard though. This is my first fanfic. It's not suppose to be perfect, but you can't deny it's good.

Naruto: Yeah I guess. (stomach rumbles) Guess I'm getting hungry. TO ICHIRAKU. (leaves)

Kakashi: So you turned me into some guardian angel.

Alpha: Sort of. You've only done it on his birthdays, and once at the hospital here. But now that Hinata is Naruto's friend, you won't have to defend him.

Kakashi: Why?

Alpha: Hinata is going to stay close to Naruto, walking with him to school, then back to his house. No one is going risk attacking Naruto because Hinata would defend him. And they know even if they somehow beat her, they'll have to deal with the rest of the Hyūga Clan.

Kakashi: Makes sense. More time for reading, so that's no problem. So the two are crushing on each other.

Alpha: Oh no. Right now Naruto is too busy adjusting to having a friend to deal with a crush.

Shino: (appears right next to Alpha) Why wasn't I in this chapter?

Alpha: Gah! Shino, don't pop up so close to me.

Shino: You haven't answered my question.

Kakashi: I'll let you deal with this (disappears).

Alpha: _sarcastically_ Gee thanks Kakashi. _normal_ I needed to focus more on setting up Naruto as shy and Hinata as confident.

Shino: ...

Alpha: Would it make you feel better if I put you in the next chapter.

Shino: Yes it would, thank you. (leaves)

Alpha: Ok now how to start chapter 2.

A/N: Ok I've had to resubmit this chapter multiple times in a row because something is leaving out thing I wrote.


	3. Chapter 2 Adjustments

A/N: Chapter 2 is here. First, let me apologise, this took longer than expected, plus I've had college and other activities. Second, I want to thank everyone for giving me a chance. I will do my best. Oh, and TheKingofChaosSol, I understand your concerns. I've yet to find a complete shy Naruto story myself and it has pissed me off. I'm hoping this will give me motivation, should I find myself with a case of writer's block, because I WILL be someone who actually finishes his story. Any who, this chapter will be more about Naruto's academy days as well as his new friendship with Hinata. I'm hoping to write about his graduation in the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 2 Adjustments

Since the two became friends, Naruto and Hinata spent a lot of time together. However, Naruto was having a hard time adjusting. He was fighting instincts he developed from 10 years of hate and abuse. Needless to say Hinata had her hands full dealing with those instincts. She had to start every conversation they had because he was always too nervous to speak. When Naruto responded, Hinata stuggled to understand him because of his stutter and quiet voice. During lunch at the academy, she had to remind him they were eating together in order to keep him from sneaking away like he use to. Also, he often tried to hide when other people approached them.

Hinata was annoyed, but she understood where these instincts came from. The more she hung out with him, the more she saw the contempt the villagers had for him. She also notice people looking at Naruto as if waiting to pounce once he was alone. This made her more protective of the shy boy, glaring at everyone who looked like they wanted to harm him. She would always walk him home so nothing like what happened that day would ever happen again. No ever tried anything. They knew better than to mess with the Hyūga heiress, and not just because her title. After all, she wasn't the Pranking Queen of the Hidden Leaf for nothing. Everyone who insulted Naruto in her presense later found themselves painted, soaking wet, or otherwise humiliated. She even helped him with his taijutsu.

One day, Hinata and Naruto were leaving the academy when Naruto's stomache growled. He looked down in embarrassment, tapping his index fingers together. It was a new habit of his whenever he was around her. Hinata just snickered and said "I guess your pretty hungry right now, huh?"

Still looking down, the young Jinchūriki answered softly, "Y-yeah."

"Why don't we go somewhere to eat," she suggest.

"Um, I, I'm not s-sure that's a g-good idea," he answered. He knew most places wouldn't even let him in the building.

"Nonsense, what do you feel like eating?"

"R-ramen." That didn't surprise her. Since they had lunch together at school, that was all she ever saw him eat.

"Hmmm," she thought for a moment. "I know just the place. Follow me," and with that, she grabbed his arm and pull him with her.

They arrived at their destination, a small ramen stand known as Ichiraku Ramen. As the two entered, Hinata called to the man inside. "Hey Old Man Teuchi."

Teuchi chuckled and said "Lady Hinata, it's good to see you again. You haven't been here in a while," then he noticed Naruto "and it looks like you brought a friend."

Naruto quickly hid behind Hinata, but she stepped aside and introduced him. "This is my newest friend, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Um, h-hi," he stuttered, afraid the old man would kick him out like all the others.

But the Teuchi beckoned him forward. "Don't worry, I won't bite. As long as you can pay for your meal your welcome here." He knew about the 9-Tails being sealed inside the boy, but he didn't care. In fact, as far as he was concerned, that boy was the only thing keeping the fox from rampaging and destroying the Hidden Leaf Village.

He was hesitent, but he took his seat next to Hinata and ordered some miso ramen. Hinata ordered the same. "By the way," she said, "where's Ayame?"

"Oh, I sent my daughter to fetch some supplies. She'll be back soon." Just then, a brown-haired girl come in carrying some bags. "Oh, Ayame. Hinata just asked about you."

"Hey Hinata, who's your friend." She pointed at the young blond.

"I-I'm N-naruto."

"Nice to meet you Naruto. I'm Ayame. I work here with my father." she said with a smile.

And so, Ichiraku became Naruto's favorite place in the village. He would often go there on his own (that's right, Naruto does spend time away from Hinata and vice versa, she does have other friends you know) and order large quantities of ramen with money he saved.

Naruto was truly grateful to Hinata, and he would often try to show it. He shared his notes with her after class and sometimes pays for lunch (guess where). Naruto even made lunch for them one time, and surprisingly, it wasn't ramen. "I-I know h-how to, to c-cook o-other things b-beside ramen," he said when he saw her surprised expression. She laughed. There were still so many things she didn't know about her blue-eyed comrade.

Naruto was still shy, but bit by bit, he his self-esteem rose. And after some time, Hinata decided to introduce him to some of her other friend. Naturally, Naruto was still reluctant to meet new people, but Hinata didn't give him a choice. During lunch, she dragged him to where 4 other boys were. The first boy had a dog on this head, the second was eating out of a potatoe chip bag, the third was laying down looking at the clouds, and the forth was wearing sunglasses.

The boy with the pup saw them. "Hey Hinata, what's with the traffic cone?" he said, making fun of Naruto's outfit. Naruto instinctively hide behind Hinata, embarrassed about his orange attire.

"Kiba, be nice!" Hinata said as she moved Naruto in front of her.

"What, it was just a joke."

"Hey," the boy with the chips spoke up, "aren't you that shy guy who sits in the back of the class? Naruto, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Y-yes, and, and I r-remember all y-your n-names fr-from roll call," he stuttered and pointed toward the boy, "Y-your Choji," then at Kiba, "Kiba," then the boy laying down, "Shikamaru," and finally, at the boy with sunglasses, "and your Shino."

"You forgot about Akamaru," Kiba said, pointing to the dog on his head.

"S-sorry," Naruto said, afraid he may have come off as insensitive for not including his dog. Hinata beckoned him to sit at the table. Akamaru then jumped onto the table, walked toward the blond, sniffed him, then began licking his face affectionately. Naruto couldn't help but giggle, while Kiba started laughing.

"Looks like Akamaru likes you, which means your ok in my book." Akamaru stopped and went back to Kiba.

"Hinata," Shino started, "how exactly did you and Naruto become friends?"

"Yeah, how does the Leaf's most hyperactive, unpredictable ninja in training end up befriending the shyest, most timid person I've ever meet?" Choji said. He then remembered Naruto was next to her, "Oops, er no offence."

Hinata glared at him for a second then contemplated what to say. Naruto had asked her not to tell anyone who didn't already know about the beating. And she definitely wasn't going to mention his attempted suicide. she didn't even tell the Hokage when he asked for her side of the story.

Surprisingly, before she could come up with something, Naruto spoke up, "W-well, I, uh, injured myself wh-while heading h-home. Hinata f-found and h-helped me. We, we talk a bit and after that, we e-ended up f-friends."

Shikamaru spoke now. "I guess you got lucky. Dealing with an injury by itself is troublesome, but dealing with it alone is a real drag. Anyway be careful. Hinata is a good person, but sometimes she can be real troublesome, especially when she's pranking someone."

"Yeah, just the other day she hid a bag of dog poop using a genjutsu she learned. Iruka-sensei stepped it and for some reason thought I was involved so I ended up with detention. Thanks a lot Hinata." Kiba said as Hinata snickered, remembering the look on Iruka-sensei's face when he stepped on it.

"Didn't you supplie her with the bag?" Shino said plainly.

"Well...yeah. But I didn't know she'd use it for that." Kiba argued.

"Let me get this straight, you gave Hinata dog poop without suspecting a prank. What did you think she was going to do with it?" Shikamaru retorted.

"Yeah, that does make you sound like a baka," Choji agreed.

"Whatever, I was still wrongly punished."

"Faced it, you supplied me, therefore helping me and making you a part of the prank," Hinata said firmly.

All five suddenly heard someone giggle. They turned and were surprised to find it came from Naruto, who immediatly covered his mouth and turned his head, his face red with embarrassment. "S-sorry."

Hinata, Kiba, and Choji started laughing, while Shikamaru simply smiled and shook his head. Shino's face didn't change, but he was amused as well. Choji then approahed Naruto. "Hey, it's ok to laugh. We're all friends here." Naruto looked up at Choji and then the others.

Hinata just smiled at him. Kiba spoke up, "Yeah, I already told you your ok in my book. Don't be so nervous."

"Anyone friend of Hinata is a friend of ours. It'd be a real drag otherwise," Shikamaru added.

"So on behalf of everyone," Shino said, "welcome to our little colony."

It was Iruka's turn to moniter everyone during lunch. He watched the Uchiha boy train, while fangirls stood in awe and cheered him on, hope to get a date with the boy. His eyes then sifted to Naruto, who looked like he was getting along with Hinata and her friend. Iruka smiled at this. _'Looks like Naruto is no longer alone. Good, he deserves to have friends after what he has been through. And hopefully one day, the villagers will learn to accept him too.'_

Mizuki came up from behind him. "Looks like Uzumaki is finally socializing, eh Iruka."

"Yeah," was he could think to say. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch as the two instructors and their students returned to their classrooms.  
 _-_

Naruto was walking down the hall with his new friends when someone bumped into him, knocking him on the ground. He looked up and found himself looking into the eyes of Sasuke Uchiha. Kiba shouted "Hey, watch it! You hit our friend!"

"Your friend should have been paying attention. He should have moved out of the way the moment my precious Sasuke appeared," said the pink-haired girl behind Sasuke.

"Your precious?" said the blond girl behind her. "Not likely Forehead Girl. Sasuke's mine!"

"In your dreams, Ino Pig!" the pink-haired girl countered.

While those two and the rest of the fangirls argued, Sasuke looked down at the boy he bumped into. Naruto looked right back at him. For some reason, those black eyes made Naruto feel insignificant. As Hinata helped Naruto up, Sasuke spoke. "Why do you bother with him?"

"What was that?" Hinata said angrily. Sasuke then pointed at the blond boy.

"He's nothing more then a loser. A little bump knocks him on his ass and he needs his friends to come to his defense. There's no way someone as weak and pathetic as him could ever become a shinobi. He should just give up now."

"Yeah, tell it like it is," the pink-haired girl cheered.

Each word stuck Naruto like a dagger. Suddenly he felt like he did before he meet Hinata. He felt helpless, insignificant, and weak. Naruto fell to his knees, fighting back tears.

"How dare you insult our friend!" Choji roared, his hands clutched into fist. The others followed suit while Hinata activated her Byakugan.

"Let me say this ONCE! INSULT MY FRIEND LIKE THAT AGAIN AND YOU WILL SEE FIRST HAND WHAT A HYŪGA IS CAPABLE OF!" Hinata shouted.

"And an Inuzuka!" said Kiba. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"And an Akimichi!" said Choji

"And a Nara," Shikamaru added.

"And an Aburame," Shino added calmly with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Hey, what's all this yelling about?" One of the teachers came down the hall. "Alright you guys, head back to class," she then looked at Naruto, "and I don't want anymore trouble from YOU," she added coldly.

"But, Naruto didn't do..." Choji started.

"Enough, just head back to class," she interupted before leaving. Hinata made a mental note to prank her hard later.

As Sasuke and his group left, the blond girl turned around and mouthed sorry.

"Geez, what was that about?" Kiba asked. "The teacher acted like you were some troublemaker, but I've never seen you do anything wrong?"

"I don't know," he said softly and, surprisingly, without stuttering.  
 _-_

The fangirls kept trying to win Sasuke's heart. However, Sasuke was only interested in one girl: Hinata Hyūga. He figured she was the perfect girl to help him rebuild the Uchiha Clan after his brother Itachi killed them all. She was confident, strong, and quite skilled. The fact that she possessed the Byakugan also interested him. He believed that with their union, the new Uchiha Clan would possess a powerful new kekkei genkai which had aspects from both the Sharingan and the Byakugan, making them the strongest clan in the ninja world. And of course the fact that she was pretty helped too. But first, he had to complete his goal. He had to kill Itachi.  
 _-_

Naruto was at Ichiraku with Shikamaru and Choji. Hinata and Kiba were caught pranking the instructor from yesterday and now had detention. Shino had business at home, so he could come. Naruto and Choji had both just finished their fifth bowl of ramen when the blond girl from Sasuke's fan club showed up. "Hey Ino, what brings you here? I thought you'd be with Sasuke," Choji asked.

"I decided to hang out with you guys for a bit." Ino answered, then turned to Naruto, "Naruto, right? Sorry about Sasuke yesterday. I'm hoping to change that once I'm his girlfriend."

"It, it's alright," he said as he got his sixth bowl, "y-you didn't d-do anything."

"Exactly, I didn't try to help you. But don't worry. Like I said, I plan on making him nicer once we become a couple." A sinister smile crept on Ino's face. "Speaking of which, anything going on between you and the Hyūga princess?" she said teasingly.

Naruto nearly chocked. "N-n-n-no. W-w-we, we're just f-f-friends, t-thats all," Naruto stuttered, his face blushing. Truthfully, he never consider Hinata more than a friend before. He figured he was lucky just to be her friend in the first place. But now that brought it up, he started seeing Hinata in a whole new light.

"Reaaally." Ino said, noticing the blush on his face and got closer to his ear. "So you don't think about her hair," sudden the image of Hinata's hair appeared in his mind and he blushed deeper, "her eyes," deeper, "her smile," even deeper, "her lips against yours."

That was the final straw. Once that image appeared, his mind overloaded and shut down as Naruto fainted and fell off his chair. Luckly Ino caught him and laid him on the ground. Choji spoke up, "Ino, I think you went too far."

"Yeah, I think your right. Sorry."

" _sigh_ Troublesome."

"Hey guys," Hinata shouted as she and Kiba appeared. Neither were surprised to see Ino, as she and Hinata were good friends despite Ino infatuation with with the Uchiha boy. Once she saw Naruto on the floor passed out, Hinata grew worried and asked as calmly as she could, "What happened?"

"Oh uh, most have eaten too much ramen," Ino said quickly. She didn't want to tell Hinata what she did. Also, she felt it would be wrong to reveal Naruto's feelings like that. Despite her intrusive behavor, she was a trustworthy girl who would never reveal someone else's secret.

Hinata eyed her a bit but seeing no other explaination, she accepted it and went to wake Naruto. "Naruto, Naruto wake up." she said as she shook him a bit and tapped his cheeks.

When Naruto woke up, he found himself staring into Hinata's clear, white eyes. He blushed as he looked into them, his thoughs commenting their beauty. _'They're like two full moons, or pearls! Just, beautiful. How have I never noticed?'_ He then realized just how close their faces were. As he remembered what Ino said, he blushed even deeper and once again fainted.

What Hinata saw confused her. Naruto finally wakes up, only for his face to turn pink, then red, and then pass out again. She scratched her head as she asked "Um, what just happened?"

Ino covered her mouth the urge to laugh, Shikamaru face palmed, and Choji dug himself into his food. Kiba guessed what happened and decided to tease her. "Hey maybe if you kiss him he'll wake up, like in that story."

Now Hinata blushed, if only for a second. "Kiba, be serious!" Then she had an idea. She grabbed Naruto's bowl of ramen and held it to his nose. As the scent entered his nostrils, Naruto's eyes shot open, prompting everyone to laugh. Even Shikamaru couldn't contain himself.

"Who needs smelling salts? One whiff of ramen would wake Naruto from a coma." Kiba joke. Naruto chuckled too. He knew they weren't making fun of him and that it was all in good fun.

After everyone calmed down and finished there meal. After they payed, they all went their separate ways. All exept Naruto and Hinata. As they walked back to his apartment, Hinata noticed Naruto was acting differently. He would try to steal glances at her and blushed when she caught him before looking away. His finger tapping habit was also more frequent around her. An uneasy silence befell them as they continued on their path.

Surprisingly, it was Naruto who broke that silence, "H-hey, Hinata?"

Hinata was speechless. Naruto never started a conversation. She found her voice and said, "Yes, Naruto."

"W-why do y-you put up with m-me? I, I mean, I n-not strong or c-confident. T-the villager l-look at y-you like y-your insane for, for b-being with m-me. N-no matter what I d-do, I j-just attract t-trouble and I c-can't do anything about i-it. M-maybe Sasuke r-right, m-maybe I am j-just a..." suddenly, Hinata clasps her hand over his mouth.

"Now you listen to me Naruto Uzumaki. You are NOT A LOSER. You are by far the nicest person I've ever met and if these villagers are too stupid too see that, they can GO TO HELL! Your stronger than you think. You lasted TEN YEARS on your own, enduring the abuse the villagers gave you! And don't forget, I've been helping you with your taijutsu so I know what your capable of. So you forget everything that BASTARD UCHIHA said about you! You are going to be a strong shinobi and we're friend for life, GOT IT?"

Naruto was taken back by the ferocity of her tone, but was gratefull for every word. When she removed her hand, he smiled and said "Thank you."

And so the two friends continued on their path before Naruto decided to ask something else. "Um, by the way Hinata."

"Hmm.

"Y-you why I, I am h-how I am. Y-you know, all s-shy and stuff." Hinata nodded. "Well, I, I was w-wondering w-what made y-you so c-confident and s-strong."

Hinata's expression soured a bit. Naruto felt like he hit a sour subject, but before he could rescind his question, Hinata answered "My clan is separated into two groups: the Main family and the Branch family. The Main family, which I am a part of, runs the clan. In fact my father is the clan head and I the heiress, so one day I will run it. Anyway, the Branch family is charged with protecting the Main family, as well as the clan's secrets. They are treated like servents and are often mistreated by the Main family. To protect our kekkei genkai, the Byakugan, and ensure obedience every member of the Branch family is given the Caged Bird Seal. This curse mark prevents the Byakugan from being stolen, but also allows members of the Main family to punish or kill a Branch family member. As a result of all this, most of the Branch family harbor feelings of distain against the Main family."

Hinata gave Naruto time to absorb this knowledge, then continued, "Do you remember a few years ago, when the Hidden Cloud sent people to the Hidden Leaf offering a peace treaty to end the fighting between the two villages. It was all an act. Their real objective was to obtain the Byakugan, and since they needed someone from the Main family, they kidnapped me."

"What, you were kidnapped?!" Naruto said shocked. He couldn't believe someone would kidnap her. Then he remembered how he was treated all his life and the shock passed.

Hinata nodded and continued her story. "Yeah but they failed. My father killed the man who kidnapped me. Unfortunatly, the kidnapper was the Cloud's Head Ninja, and the Hidden Cloud denied the accusations of kidnapping. They demanded my father's body as tribute. However, the elders gave them my uncle's body instead. My father and uncle were identical twins, so they were able to trick the Cloud, bringing peace. However, since then my cousin Neji, who was his son, has hated me and the Main family ever since. If I'd hadn't been kidnapped, if I hadn't been so weak..."

"There was nothing you could do. You were just a little girl. It wasn't your fault." Naruto told her. For that one moment, he was no longer shy. He just wanted to cheer his friend up.

"Thank you. I know that but still, I don't want anyone to die or suffer because of me ever again. That's what keeps me confident. That's what makes me strong." Hinata said. It felt good to be able to let that out. It was like a weight had been lifted off her sholders. Then she noticed something. "By the way, you didn't stutter. You finally break that habit?"

At that moment, Naruto regressed back to his normal, shy self. "W-well, uh, you, you s-see uh..."

Hinata just laughed. "I guess that was a one time thing, huh. Maybe in the future."

"Y-yeah, maybe." Naruto stayed silent, then decided to ask something else. " O-one last q-question."

"My, chatty today are we? Go ahead, shoot."

"W-why the pranks?"

"That's simple. I don't want to just be known as Hinata, the Hyūga Heiress. I want people to see me for me. Besides, I love pulling pranks, especially on people who deserve them."

"Oh. If, if it m-makes you f-feel better, I d-don't see you l-like that." Naruto said.

"And just how do you see me?" Hinata asked curiously.

They finally arrived at his place. "W-well, I g-guess I'll s-see you and the o-others t-tomarrow."

"Alright, see ya then." Hinata said as she ran off to the Hyūga Estate.

Since that day, Naruto has had pleasant dreams involving his Hyūga friend as more then a friend.  
 _-_

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was dealing with the greatest evil ever to befall the world: paperwork. "I swear, it never ends." There was a knock on the door. "Enter."

Iruka entered and bowed. "You summoned me, Lord Hokage?"

"Yes, please tell me, how is Naruto doing?" the Hokage said as he inhaled from his pipe.

"It seems Naruto is becoming good friends with Hinata. She recently introduced him to her other friends and they seem to get along fine. I've never seen Naruto happier." Iruka said happily.

Hiruzen smiled. "That's good to hear. I'm glad he finally found people who will stand by him. He deserves it." The Hokage then turns around and looks out the window and at the village. "The Hyūga girl keeps the Will of Fire burnning in our young Jinchūriki. I just know one of them will one day become Hokage. You are dismissed Iruka." And with that, the Hokage grudgingly returned to his paperwork.  
 _-_

Hiashi Hyūga, was waiting for his daughter to return. She was suppose to be back an hour ago. Finally, she entered the gates walked into the building. "Your late, again," he said coldly. He was growing tired of her constant tardiness.

"I was with a friend." Hinata responded as respectfully as she could. She was annoyed by how strict her father was and how cold he could be, especially after the death of her mother. Still, he was her father and didn't want to argue with him too much.

"Would this 'friend' happen to be Naruto Uzumaki?" he said.

"So what if it is?" Hinata responded. She had a feeling of where he was going with this.

"I don't want you near that boy. You are the heiress of the Hyūga Clan. You cannot be seen associating with that child."

"What is your problem with Naruto? What is this whole damn village's problem with Naruto? He's never done anything wrong yet he's treated like a menace!" Hinata was done being respectful. Her father was treating Naruto like the rest of the village did.

"Naruto is... not right. There is something wrong with him. In fact, it's dangerous to be around him." Hiashi remembered the Hokage's law about not telling anyone about Naruto hosting the 9-Tails.

"There is NOTHING wrong with Naruto! I've hung out with him long enough to know that. Why can't you and the other villages see that?"

"Why do you insist on defend that boy. You haven't fallen for him have you? You are the heiress to one of the most powerful and prestigest clans in the shinobi world! He is nothing more than trash compared to that!"

"NARUTO IS NOT TRASH!" Hinata ran into her room and slammed the door. She didn't want to talk to her father anymore.

Hiashi stood there, partially regreting what he said. After all, Naruto was the son of Hitomi's best friend, who definitely would have killed him or at least put him in the hospital for calling her son trash. _'I'm sorry Kushina. If it weren't for that demon fox, things would be different. I would have been glad that our chldren were such good friend. In fact, you and Minato would still be alive if it weren't for that event. But the clan comes first. I can't have your son ruin our image.'_

Hinata laid in bed, still angry at her father for his cruel words. Then again, her father was never consider the nicest guy around. All he ever seemed to care about was the clan's reputation and secrets. She hoped to change that once she took over as clan head, as well as removed the Caged Bird Seal placed on the Branch family. Before sleep took her however, she remembered how her father accused her of falling for Naruto and that she never acually denied that. _'But I just consider Naruto a friend, right? I mean, he's kind, a good listener, doesn't judge people, and he's stronger than he gives himself credit for. Not to mention cute. Wait, did I really just think that. No, me are Naruto are just friends.'_ But even as she told herself that, the young Uzumaki boy found his way into her heart. _'Besides, I'm sure he sees me as just a friend as well.'  
-_

Alpha: That took longer then expected.

Shino: Why wasn't I at Ichiraku?

Alpha: Jeez Shino, you are hard to please. I kept my promise. You were in this chapter. And you had more time than Sakura, who wasn't even named.

Shino: Will I be in future chapters?

Alpha: _sighs_ Yes Shino, you will.

Choji: What took you so long anyway?

Alpha: I had a hard time writing how you and the other meet Naruto. That was definitly the hardest part to write in this chapter.

Ino: Um why did you mention traffic cones when we don't have cars?

Alpha: You have wagons, don't you. Besides traffic cones aren't just used on the street. There are also used in places like construction sites.

Naruto: Enough about that! Lets get to the graduation and the part where I kiss Hinata.

Hinata: K-kiss me (faints)

Alpha: Naruto, why did you have to say that in front of her?

Naruto: Oops.

Alpha: Choji, you and Shino take her home. (They leave carrying Hinata) Anyway, the graduation should be next chapter.

Naruto: But what about me and Hinata?

Sasuke: Who says you to end up together?

Naruto:Huh, Sasuke? What do you mean?

Sasuke:In this story I fall in love with Hinata. So maybe I get her.

Alpha: I never said you loved her. Just that you considered her to be the perfect girl to have your children and restore your clan. That ain't love.

Naruto: Ha! That means I get her.

Alpha: Don't think I added that part just to fill space. Sasuke will attempt to make Hinata his. Or maybe I'll join the story and ask her out.

Naruto: Like hell you will. (Attacks Alpha and Sasuke)

Alpha: Jeez, can't take a joke. Ow, alright you asked for it. I'll make this quick so I can get back to writing the next chapter. (Fights back)


	4. Chapter 3 Graduation and SecretsRevealed

A/N: Hey, just a little bit more about Naruto's academy days and then we'll have his graduation. I imagine most of you already know what to expect since the graduation was the first thing in the Naruto series. But keep reading and maybe I'll surprise you.

Disclaimer (Do I really need to keep saying this): I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 3 Gradutation and Secrets Revealed

Two years passed. During that time Naruto became very close with his friends. He and Choji would often talk about ramen, from the different types to the seasonings used to enhance the flavor. One thing they both agreed on was that Ichiraku's was the best. He would join Shikamaru in cloudwatching. At first Shikamaru would talk about how troublesome his mom could be, but then saw how the subject bothered Naruto, since he wished he had a mother, and would drop the subject and simpily talk about Shogi or the clouds. Kiba and Akamaru woud invite him over to play with some of the other pups. Naruto was a bit nervous of how Kiba's family would treat him, but they happily welcomed him. In fact, none of his friends' families had any problem with him, except the Hyūga Clan, which is why Hinata never invited him over. Kiba's mom, Tsume, watched as Naruto play with the other dogs. _'For a fox boy, he certainly gets along well with dogs,'_ she thought. "Hey Naruto, have you ever considered training a ninja hound of your own?" Tsume once asked.

"Um, I, uh, d-don't think that's a g-good idea," he answered, remembering what the villagers did to his goldfish when he was seven.

Hanging out with Shino was often awkward. The two of them didn't speak much, as none of them were very talkative. In the few solo conversations they had, Shino would talk about insects, which didn't really interest Naruto much, but listened anyway. Still, the two of them were good friends and would easily trust each other.

Ino would try to keep Sasuke and the pink-haired girl (aka Sakura but of course all of you knew that) away from Naruto and the others. She still had a crush on the Uchiha boy, but she didn't let it interfere with her friendship with Naruto, Hinata, Choji, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Shino. She also talked about flowers with Naruto, specifically mentioning the favorites of a certain girl.

And then there was Hinata. Ever since Ino brought it up that day at Ichiraku, Naruto could not get her out of his mind. True, she was his first friend, so naturally he felt stronger bond to her then the others. However, his feelings for her evolved from friendship to a crush. As a result, despite all the progress made on his self-esteem, the blond Jinchūriki was still very shy around her. Still, he worked harder than before make her happy, from making her lunch to complementing her from time to time. He even left a few gifts for her. It was nothing expensive and the only thing he ever directly gave her was lunch, except on her birthday and Christmas.

Though Hinata noticed Naruto's behavor she remainded oblivious to his true feelings, mostly cause she was busy wrestling with her own feelings. _'We're only friends, and yet I don't feel content with that. Could it be I want to be more than friends? No, that can't be, could it?'_ These were the thoughts that often went around her head, and being around Naruto didn't help. But at the same time, she didn't want to avoid him either. She never shared her thoughts with anyone, especially Ino, who would have teased her nonstop. She also never shared one particulary embarrassing event that one day.  
-

It was their third year of school. It was lunchtime and Hinata went off alone to practice using her Byakugan. As skilled as she was, she still had some problems controlling it. Anyway, a few moments later, Naruto showed up with a ramen cup and a bento box. "H-here Hinata. Um, I, uh, m-made you l-lunch," he stuttered, holding the bento in front of him.

"Thanks, Naruto. Wait one sec. Keep the box closed. I want to use my Byakugan to look inside." Naruto nodded and Hinata activated her kekkei genkai. Upon activation, her face turned red. Yes, see show the contents of the bento, but that's not all see saw. She lost control and ended up looking though his orange outfit. There she stood, mesmorized. Despite being so young, Naruto had quite the body. It was slim yet muscular. On his left arm was a scar from the beating he got that day about a year ago. Luckely, the contents of the bento box covered his lower body but still, she couldn't help but stare. _'Whoa! I wasn't wasn't expecting... No! Must...turn...off...'_

"Um, a-are you o-okay Hinata," he asked as he approached her, moving the box to his side.

 _'EEEP!'_ Her face turned crimson as she deactivated her Byakugan and turned away, unable to face Naruto. "I, uh, I, I'm f-f-fine." She took the box without looking and quickly proceeded to dig in. _'I shouldn't have seen that. I should have turned it off earlier. Why didn't I turn it off earlier? Still, it was a nice view. NO! How could I think that?'_

Naruto was shocked. He never ever heard Hinata stutter before. But Hinata clearly didn't want to talk about it so he let it be. _'I wonder what got her so freaked out? Was it the lunch I packed?'  
_ -

For the past two years, Sasuke watched as Naruto and Hinata grew closer together. What's worse, everytime he tried to interfer, his fan club would get in the way, especially Ino. It was as those she was intentionally trying to keep him away. Surely she didn't know about his plans. None the less, he was annoyed by his lack of progress with the Hyūga heiress. _'Why would she hang out with that loser? No matter, there's no way he'll pass the graduation tests. That's when I'll make my move. She WILL help me restore my clan! And with the combined power of the Byakugan and the Sharingan, the Uchiha will be the most powerful clan in the ninja world once more. In the meantime, I should also keep these other girls around. As annoying as they are, they may be useful to me as pawns.'_ he thought to himself as he ignored Sakura's pleas for a date.  
-

And so, the day of the graduation test has finally arrived. Naruto waited patiently in the hall for his turn. All his friends had already passed the test and were waiting for him outside wearing their headbands with pride. Before going out, Hinata had given him a reasuring smile, which told him she had faith in him. That calmed his nerves a bit, but he was still worried he wouldn't pass.

The door opened and Sasuke walked out, wearing his headband over his forehead. Before leaving, he walked by Naruto and whispered, "Don't get your hopes up. A loser like you will never pass." With that, he left.

Suddenly, Naruto was even more nervous. Hinata had told him not to listen to Sasuke, but his words still rang in his head. "Naruto Uzumaki," Iruka called.

Naruto gluped and walked into the classroom, repeating in his head, _'I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.'  
_ -

"Hey guys, once Naruto comes out, we should all celebrate becoming genin." Kiba suggested.

"We should go to that BBQ place! They're having an all-you-can-eat special!" Choji said excitedly.

"Lets see what Naruto thinks once he passes." Hinata said.

"I think we all know what Naruto would suggest." Shikamaru stated.

"Yes, Naruto always suggests we go to Ichiraku." Shino agreed.

"We almost always go there." Kiba complained.

"Yeah. I like ramen, but I also like variety." Choji said.

"Well, it's not like he can go to a lot of places." Hinata argued.

"True, and not just for food." Ino started. "Last week I decided to take Naruto out to shop for a new outfit to replace that orange abomination he wears. I entered the store I usually get my clothes from and the clerk smiled and welcomed me like always. Then Naruto walks in and suddenly the clerk chases him out of the store yelling 'And don't come back!' Guess I'm not shopping there anymore." Ino sighed, "And too bad. They really had a great selection."

"Yes, I've noticed an unusual amout of hostilities from the villagers around Naruto as well." Shino commented.

"I wonder why." Choji said.

They all pondered that. Just then, Naruto came out of the building. "Hey Naruto, we were thinking of going to this BBQ place to celebrate. What do you think?" Hinata asked. Then she noticed his head was down. "Naruto, what's wrong?"

Hinata lifted his face and saw tear coming from his eyes. "I, I, I didn't pass."

"What!" Everyone said in shock. Even Shino couldn't hide his surprise.

"No way, there must be some mistake! You've worked too hard to fail," Kiba argued.

"I, I'm sorry I l-let you guys down. I, I guess he w-was r-right a-about me." Naruto said in between sobs.

"What? You mean what Sasuke said? I told you not to take that bastard seriously." Hinata said, but Naruto just turned and ran away. "Wait, Naruto!" She was about to go after him when she felt a hand on her sholders. She looked up and saw Iruka.

"Give him time. He need to get it out of his system," he said.

"Iruka-sensei, what happened?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, sensei. He worked so hard for this." Choji added.

" _Sigh_ I know. He was doing so well. But toward the end of the exam, he failed to produce a proper clone. As a result, he failed."

"What, but that's not fair." Kiba argued.

"Fair or not, he failed. He'll have to wait another year to take the exam again."

"Can't you do something, sensei?" Choji asked.

"I can't make exceptions, no matter how badly I want to." Iruka answered, a tone of sadness in his voice.

Iruka left them there and returned into the building. All the excitment and joy from earlier was gone. Their friend Naruto, with whom they shared many great moments, had to spend another years at the academy. They knew their training and missions would keep them busy and unable to spend much time with their blond friend. And so, each of them slowly embarked on their way to their homes.  
-

Naruto ran as far away from his friends as he could. He couldn't bear to face them. He let them down. They put their faith in him and yet he failed to graduate. He thought about all the things Sasuke said about him and started truly believing him. _'He was right. I am a loser. I let all my friends down, especially Hinata.'_

"Hey Naruto, there you are." said a voice as one of Naruto's instructors popped up.

"Mizuki-sensei? W-what are y-you doing h-here?

"Looking for you. I heard about what happen. You worked hard for this so I'm going to let you in on a little secret. There is another way for you to graduate."

That brought Naruto's hopes up. "R-really? W-what is it ?" He was determined to do anything to graduate.  
-

Hinata was halfway to the Hyūga Estate when she ran into the last person she wanted to see. Sasuke approached her and said, "I heard that baka failed. I told you he was a loser."

"Watch your tongue, Uchiha, before I rip it out of your mouth."

"Testy. What is your interest in him anyway? He's weak, pathetic, and not very popular. Do you pity him because he doesn't have a family? I don't have one either, thanks to my brother. And yet I'm a much better match for you then he'll ever be."

Hinata was furious at him. "DON'T YOU DARE COMPARE YOUSELF TO NARUTO! I'm fully aware of what happened to your clan. I do feel bad for you in that regard but still, Naruto is a much better person than you. He's a kind person who puts other people's concerns ahead of his own. He's not some arragent asshole like you! And unlike you, he's had to put with the bullshit from the same villages who kiss your ass! I'd much rather be with him than be with a prick like YOU!" After that, she pushed him against the wall of a nearby building.

Sasuke's normally calm composure erupted into rage. "Listen here you bitch! I...ooh!" He didn't finish his sentense. Hinata struck him in the chest with her Gentle Fist technique. Byakugan activated, she charged at Sasuke, delivering another blow, this time in the gut. She struck again but time Sasuke dodged and backed away while form in handsigns. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke launched a medium sized fireball her way.

She barely managed to dodge it when Sasuke closed in and hit her in the face with a left hook followed by a kick with his right. Hinata stumbled back but before she could react she was punched in the gut. Sasuke drew his right hand back and threw a punch at her face. Hinata managed to block it and gave him and uppercut. Sasuke recovered and started the handsigns again when Hinata struck his left sholder an his left arm went limp. "Wh-what?"

"I closed the chakra point in your sholder. You won't be able to perform anymore jutsu for a while." She then jabbed him in the face, breaking his nose, and dealt a final blow to his chest, knocking him on the ground. "I told you. If you insulted Naruto you would see what a Hyūga was capable of." As she turned away from him, a smile crept on her face. "You know, I don't have full control of my Byakugan, so sometimes I see things I don't mean to see, and I can certainly tell you Naruto trumps you in one other area." She chuckled at that and left to return home.

Sasuke laid on the ground, pissed off. _'That bitch! And she dares claim that loser is better than ME, an UCHIHA! If I didn't need her genes I'd kill her! This is far from over, Hinata! MARK MY WORDS!'_

"Sasuke! Are you alright?" Sakura shouted as she appeared She helped him to his feet. "Oh no! Your nose is bleeding!"

"I'm fine Sakura." _'She's completely infatuated with me. Good. That makes her easy to control. I may need her help in the future. But first, let me give her false hope.'_ "Thank you for your concern but I'm alright. But if it will make you feel better, you can walk with me to my house."

Sakura nearly squealed in delight. She was going to spend some one-on-one time with her love. Even if it was just walking with him home, it was a step up. Little did she knew of his true intentions.  
-

Hinata arrived home and marched off straight to bed. She didn't want to deal with her father or anyone else. Once in bed, she calmed down and thought about her friend, _'Poor Naruto. He deserved to pass more than anyone.'_ Then she remembered her encounter with Sasuke. _'At least I finally knocked that boy down a few pegs. And I meant every word of what I said.'_ Suddenly, her thoughts turned to the young blond boy with blue eyes. _'Yeah, every word.'  
_ -

Iruka spotted Naruto in the forest near the training grounds. He saw the scroll in his hands. _'Naruto, what were you thinking?'_

Naruto heard a noise and saw Iruka heading his way. "H-hey, Iruka-sensei. I, I did it. I l-learn one of the t-techniques from the scroll."

"What?" Iruka was confused. Naruto was acting completely normal, for him anyway, like he hadn't done anything wrong. _'Does he not realise what he did? Or what's going to happen to him?'_

"Y-yeah, see. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Suddenly, in a puff of smoke, 10 Narutos appeared. "S-so, do I pass?"

Iruka was dumbstruck. _'That jutsu is Jonin level, and he learned it in one night!'_ Then his brain processed what Naruto said. "Pass?"

"Mizuki-sensei s-said that if I t-took this scroll a-and learned at least o-one jutsu from it, I could p-pass."

 _'Mizuki? Why would he say that?'_ "Naruto, stealing the Sacred Scroll is a serious offence, punishable by death or lifetime imprisonment."

"B-but Mizuki-sensei said..." Suddenly, shurikens appeared out of nowhere. Iruka managed to push the real Naruto out of the way while he and Naruto's clones got hit. The clones dispersed and an injured Iruka looked for the assailant. It was Mizuki!

"Looks like you got to him before me, Iruka. I guess I'll have to kill you too." Mizuki said with a sinister smile.

"What, what's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, Mizuki tricked you into stealing the Sacred Scroll. He planned to kill you and keep it for himself."

"And you did your job wonderfully. As a reward, I'll answer the question you've been dying know. It's something all the adults know and was kept hidden from you and the younger generation. Don't you want to know why the villagers treat you like you like a monster?"

"W-what? You mean you k-know why?" Naruto asked

"Mizuki stop! That's forbidden! Naruto, just run!" Iruka shouted. But Naruto stayed put. This was his chance to finally understand why he suffered all those years.

"Ha, I knew you'd be interested! It's simply, when the Fourth Hokage battled the 9-Tails, he sealed inside of you!" Naruto's eyes widened in horror. Mizuki just laughed. "That's right. The demon killed all those people, including Iruka's parents, and nearly destroyed the village is inside you! YOU ARE THE 9-TAILED FOX!" And to add salt to the wound, he added, "I wonder how those so-called friends of yours will react when they find out. Especially that Hyūga girl."

Naruto dropped to his knees. He refused to believe it at first, thinking Mizuki was lying. But then, it started to make sense. Why he was treated like he was the bane of everyone's existense. Why he always felt something in the corner of his mind, thoughts that weren't his own, urging him to kill. _'What they all said was true. I am a monster.'_ Suddenly, an image of all his friends finding out and turning on him entered his head. The look on Hinata's face especially haunted him. It was filled with disgust.

"Now I'll send you to Hell where you belong, demon!" Mizuki threw a fuma shuriken (which is basically a really big shuriken) at Naruto. Naruto made no attempts to dodge. He merely closed his eyes waited the end. He heard the sound of metal piercing flesh, but didn't feel a thing. He opened his eyes and saw Iruka in front of him. He had taken the blow.

As Iruka reach for his back to pull the weapon out, Naruto asked, "Why, Iruka-sensei?"

"Because we're the same. Naruto, I'm sorry I didn't help you more. I grew up with out a family too, so I know how painful it is to be alone. _grunts in pain_ And before you apologise, don't! You are NOT the 9-Tails. You are not the demon who killed my parents. You are Naruto Uzumaki of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. And I am proud to be your sensei!"

"Enough of this emotional crap!" Mizuki said as he stabs Iruka in the back with a kunai and whacks him away.

"IRUKA-SENSEI" Naruto shouted.

"Pathetic. Now we was I. Huh? What the hell?! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" was all that was heard from awhile as the scream sent nearby birds flying away.  
-

Iruka just laid there and stared. Mizuki was faced down in a pool of his own blood. But that wasn't what Iruka was staring at. Naruto sat in fetal position, covered in blood, hyperventilating, his eyes wide open.

His eyes, they weren't the same. In place of the blue eyes Iruka remembered, was a strange ripple pattern.  
-

Naruto: Um, Alpha?

Alpha: Yes?

Naruto: When I go into 9-Tails state, my eyes are red with slanted pupils, they don't form a ripple pattern?

Alpha: I know.

Naruto: So why...

Alpha: Just wait for the next chapter.

Kakashi: She does this mean Naruto...

Alpha: Relax, my plan isn't so simple as giving him something like that to use often. Lord Third will make sure of that.

Hiruzen: I will?

Alpha: Yes, in the next chapter. Now can we please talk about something else.

Hinata: How about my scene?

Naruto: Yeah, you got your butt kicked good Sasuke.

Sasuke: Yeah, and it pissed me off. I think I'll take my anger out on you!

Naruto: Bring it on! (The two leave to fight each other)

Kakashi: We'll go make sure they don't kill each other. (He and Hiruzen leave)

Alpha: By the way, sorry about what I made Sasuke call you.

Hinata: It's alright. I got to properly stand up for Naruto, and I beat Sasuke. I should thank you. One question though.

Alpha: Yes?

Hinata: That comment I made to Sasuke at the end as well as that "incident" with Naruto...

Alpha: Ah, that. Well, I got the idea from the story "Naruto's Kit" by Brown Phantom. It was something the you in the story said at Tsunade's party. I found it funny, so I decided to add something like that. You know, add insult to injury.

Hinata: I guess that makes sense.

Alpha: But I wanted to make you looking an accident so as not to make you out as perverted.

Hinata: I appreciate that. Well, I better go cheer Naruto on for while he beats Sasuke. (Sakura appears)

Sakura: Please, Sasuke is much stronger than Naruto. (Both leave arguing)

Alpha: Alright, better get started on the next chapter.

A/N: I'm thinking of changing Naruto's look and I want your opinions. So please, send reviews about what Naruto should wear or if I should keep the orange outfit.


	5. Chapter 4 Teams

A/N: Chapter 4 is here. Ok, so I still haven't gotten many reviews on what to do with Naruto's outfit. All I've got is to keep some orange, which I will if I change it, but no details as to what kinds of clothes he should wear. Also, I've created a poll to decide whether Haku lives or dies in the Land of Waves. Finally, thank you all for following and favoriting! Now enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 4 Teams

After calming him down, Iruka brought Naruto to the Hokage's office. Or rather, Naruto brought Iruka. Because of his injuries, Naruto had to support Iruka. However Iruka had asked him to close his eyes and keep them that way until told other wise, so Iruka acted as his eyes. The ANBU found them shortly after leaving the forest and attempted to arrest Naruto and take Iruka to the hospital, but Iruka refused and stopped them. He explained what happen with Mizuki, leaving out Naruto new 'condition.' He then requested to see the Hokage despite the ANBU captain's plea to take him to the hospital, saying it was urgent. Reluctently, the captain argeed, but on the condition that they go with him.

As they entered the office, Iruka spoke up. "Lord Hokage, I need to speak with you privately."

The Hokage nodded and dismissed the ANBU. "Iruka, tell me what happened and why your not in the hospital for you injuries."

While Naruto, eyes still closed, seated him in a chair, Iruka started telling the story of what happened, from Naruto performing the Shadow Clone Jutsu to Mizuki's betrayal to Naruto learning he was the Jinchūriki of the 9-Tails. "Then Mizuki went to kill Naruto when... Well, I'll let see for yourself. Naruto, you can open your eyes now."

Naruto did as he was told, revealing his ripple-patterned eyes. Hiruzen's own eyes widened. Naruto grew worried, unsure of what was going on. "W-why are you s-staring at me, L-lord Third?" The Hokage opened his drawer and pulled out a small mirror and handed it to Naruto. Naruto took a look and saw the change in his eyes. He started to panic. "W-what happened to m-my eyes?! D-does this have s-something to do w-with the fox?" Naruto worried this was a sign that he was changing because of the demon within him.

The Hokage shook his head. "No, Naruto. This has nothing to do with the 9-Tails. This is a rare kekkei genkai. In fact, it is not passed down like the other kekkei genkai."

W-what do you m-mean it's not, not p-passed down?

"Your parents did not possess those eyes, and neither will any children or grandchildren you may have in the future," Naruto nearly fainted at the thought of him and Hinata with children but then remembered the situation, "This kekkei genkai is known as the Rinnegan."

"R-rinnegan?"

"Yes. It is said that it is the very same kekkei genkai that the Sage of the Six Paths possessed." Naruto was stunned. He heard that the Sage of the Six Paths was the father of all shinobi and a god among shinobi. However, he always believed the Sage to be a myth.

"Lord Hokage, have you ever encountered someone with the Rinnegan before?" Iruka asked.

"No, but one of my students has. My student took the boy as his student along with two others. However, he did not give me many details on its abilities. I imagine it was a mystery even to him." He paused, giving Naruto and Iruka time to process this information before continuing. "Naruto, I know the possiblities are quite tempting, but I'm afraid I must seal this power away for the time being."

"Huh, w-why?" Naruto said, a little disappointed.

"I'm worried about how your Rinnegan will affect the Fourth's seal. Also, I fear it will attract unwanted attention." _'Especially from Danzo. It was difficult to keep Naruto out of Root because of the fox spirit. If he found out Naruto had the Rinnegan, he would be relentless, as would the rest of the Council.'_ Hiruzen though. The Hidden Leaf Council had gained much power over the years, to his regret. They wanted to turn the boy into mindless drone, a weapon. It took all day to prevent the Council from doing so. Thankfully, his allies in the Council were able to support him. "This will only be a temporary measure until you're older. Until then, don't tell anyone, even your friends. Do you understand?" Naruto nodded. The last thing he wanted was unwelcomed attention. "Good. Iruka, I'll have one of the guards take you to the hospital so you can get your injuries treated. By the time your back, I will have finished the seal. Naruto, close your eyes until the guard I call in leaves with Iruka."

Naruto did as he was told and waited for Iruka and the guard to leave. The Hokage placed his hand on Naruto forehead and started the sealing process. Kushina taught him and a number of shinobi this seal on members of the Uchiha or Hyūga clans who turned rouge. During the process, Naruto thought, _'So, I have the 9-Tails inside me. That's why everyone hates. It's crazy, but I actually feel better knowing. I'm still scared of what the 9-Tails may do to me in the future, or how my friends will react when they find out. I don't want them to and I not ready to tell them, but I know the truth will eventually come out. Still, at least I know I didn't actually do anything to anything. And one day, I make them see the real me, not the fox.'_

 **"Ha, good luck kit. You'll need it,"** a voice in his head said in disbelief.

 _'Huh, h-hello? W-who's there?'_ Naruto thought, but there was no response. _'What was that? Could that have been...'_

"Done," the Hokage said as he handed Naruto the mirror. Naruto looked into the mirror and saw that his eyes were blue again. However he also noticed three small swirls on his forehead in the formation of a triangle (think _-_ but with swirls instead).

"Um, Lord Hokage? W-what about t-these marks on my f-forehead?"

"Hmm. Maybe Iruka could help with that. Why don't we talk a bit until then."

"A-actually, I, uh, w-want to ask you s-something?"

"Of course, what is it?"

"I, I wanted to asked a-about what it means t-to be Hokage."

That caught Hiruzen off guard. "Um, sure, but do you mind telling me what has you so curious?"

"W-well," Naruto took a deep breathe and focused hard on not stuttering, "I guess it's because of all the things I've heard about the you and the past Hokages. I know that you all were great ninja..."

"Were?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. Naruto started to panic when the Hokage added, "Relax, Naruto. I know it was for lack of better wording and that you meant no disrespect. Continue."

Naruto calmed down, but his stutter returned. "A-anyway, I, um, I'm p-pretty sure that's not the o-only r-requirement. T-there was something else, r-right?"

Hiruzen chuckled. "Yes, Naruto. There is more to being Hokage than being a strong shinobi. Many people overlook that fact. While being strong is important, there is one more thing that's even more important. Something that my predecessors and I possess, the Will of Fire."

"I, I r-remember Iruka-sensei m-mentioning it, but he d-didn't go into d-detail."

"Allow me to. The Will of Fire is the bond that ties the village together. It is the desire to protect the village, its people, and one's precious people at all cost. And though many have tried, it cannot be extinguished, only passed on. Only those whose Will of Fire burns brightly can become Hokage. Do you understand?"

Naruto thought for a moment, then nodded. _'I wonder, I know the villagers hate me, but for some reason, I can't bring myself to hate them back. And, I want to be able to protect my friends, to be strong.'_

A few minutes passed when Iruka knocked on the door. With permission, Iruka came in, bandages covering parts of his arms, most of his left leg, and almost half his upper body. He had a crutch in his left arm for support. "I hope I'm not interupting anything," he said.

"Not at all Iruka. We had just finished our conversation. By the way, it looks like Naruto will need something to cover the seal on his forehead," the Hokage stated.

"I have just the thing. Close your eyes one last time Naruto." Naruto did as he was told, a little annoyed by how many times he'd been told that. He felt something get tied around his forehead and then heard Iruka say, "Now open them."

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at his sensei. He noticed something different. "Iruka-sensei, w-where's your h-headband?"

"Right where it belongs." he answered.

Naruto lifted his hand and touched his forehead. He felt metal and the Hidden Leaf symbol. "Y-you mean..."

"That's right. Congratulations Naruto, you pass. You're officially a genin."

Tears of joy formed in Naruto's eyes as he rushed to embrace his sensei. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

"You earned it." Iruka said softly. "Come on, I'll treat you to dinner."

Naruto wiped his eyes and looked at the clock. "I, I think Ichiraku is s-still open."

The Hokage smiled. "Go on now, you two. I have to finish making the teams for tomarrow." As they left, the Hokage groaned when he remembered the paperwork he had to do. _'Times like these, I wish I had just named another successor instead of coming out of retirement.'  
_ -

The next morning, all the newly appointed genin were excited to be assigned their teams. All of them, that is except for Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Shino, Kiba, and Hinata, who were still sad that their friend Naruto had not graduated with them. Sasuke wasn't excited either (but then again, when is Sasuke ever excited). The door opened and everyone took their seats, expecting Iruka. But imagine the look on everyone's face when instead of Iruka, Naruto walked in wearing a Leaf headband!

"Um, hi," he said meekly. He didn't like how all eyes were on him.

Just then, all his friends rushed at him. They were glad he was there but they were also confused. "Naruto, I thought you failed the test. Don't get me wrong, I glad you passed, but what happened?" Kiba inquired.

"Well, uh, Iruka-sensei l-let me try the cl-clone jutsu again. I m-managed c-create a s-solid clone and pass," Naruto lied. He hated to do it but was told by Iruka not to tell them about last night's events.

Kiba and Choji were satisfied with that answer, but the others weren't convinced. They could tell he was hiding something but decided not to pressure him. Shikamaru in particular figured it'd be too troublesome.

The door opened once more, but this time, Iruka did come in. Everyone rushed to their seats as Iruka spoke. "Alright, first let me once again congratulate all of you for graduation. I am confident that each of you will become fine shinobi. Now, please remain quiet while I announce the teams."

Everyone waited in anticipation. Naruto was thinking, _'Please be with Hinata. Please be with Hinata.'_ Hinata was thinking, _'Please not with Sasuke. Please not with Sasuke.'_ and Sakura was thinking, _'Please be with Sasuke. Please be with Sasuke.'_

"Team 7 will consist of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and..."

"YEAH!" Sakura shouted. Meanwhile, all of Sasuke's other fangirl goaned, upset and jealous. Hinata let out a sigh of relief.

"Miss Haruno, I thought I asked that everyone remain quiet?" Sakura immediatly sat down, slightly embarrassed but happy none the less. "As I was saying your final teammate is..."  
-

"Kakashi, glad to see you finally join us." Lord Third said as Kakashi walked in, late as usual.

Apologies, Lord Hokage. I misplaced my bike."

"Let me guess, you also saved a kitten from a tree." Asuma Sarutobi said sarcastically.

"Actually yes, I did in fact." Kakashi retorted.

"If you too are quite done, let us continue," Hiruzen said. "Kakashi Hatake, you will led Team 7 consisting of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumake." Some of the jonin seemed disgusted when they heard Naruto's name, but the Hokage continued anyway, "Kurenai Yūhi, you will led Team 8 consisting of Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyūga. Asuma Sarutobi, you will led Team 10 consisting of Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara." The Hokage continued to assign the teams. "Alright, now that you've all assigned your teams, get ready to meet them. Dismissed." Most of the jonin cleared out. However, Kakashi and Kurenai stayed behind. "Is there something you wish to discuss?"

Kurenai spoke up. "Yes Lord Third. I respectfully request that Naruto be placed on my team."

The Hokage inhaled from his pipe. "Would to care to explain your reasoning?"

"Yes. Kakashi and I discussed this last night after the Mizuki Incident." Most jonin knew the details of Mizuki's betrayal. However, only Iruka and the Hokage knew of Naruto's Rinnegan. "We assumed you would arrange the teams this way and, no offence, but we believe this arrangement to be flawed."

"No offence taken. Please, explain."

Kakashi spoke up this time. "As you are aware, my Sharingan makes me the ideal sensei to teach Sasuke. However, while watching over Naruto, I have seen Sasuke belittle Naruto and as a result lowering his self-esteem. And since Sakura possesses strong feelings for the Uchiha, she would most likely assist him. This would make them an ineffective team. Hinata, on the other hand, has the opposite effect on him. This girl changed Naruto's life for the better. Because of her, he has friends and has grown stronger."

"So with your permission, Lord Third, we request that Naruto be placed in my squad and Shino be placed in Kakashi's," Kurenai finished.

"Hmm. Why exchange Shino?"

"Shino's calm atittude is less like to cause trouble in my team. Kiba, on the hand, would most likely start fights." Kakashi answered.

"Very well then. I approve of your request. I shall make the changes before handing the papers to Iruka. Dismissed."

The two jonin left. Once they were out the door, Kakashi commented, "That went well."

Kurenai looked at him and said, "You may have fooled the Hokage, but you can't fool me. I know the real reason you didn't want Naruto on your team."

"It's better this way. Bad things happen to those closest to me. My father, Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei, Kushina..."

"That doesn't mean Naruto would meet the same fate!"

"Maybe not. But better safe than sorry. I'll look after him from the shadows, but that's as close as I dare to get!" Kakashi said, nearly shouting. And with that, Kakashi disappeared.

Kurenai sighed. _'Kakashi, I know it hurts to lose people. I've lost friends and family as well, and so has Asuma. But that hasn't stopped us from forming bonds with others and each other.'  
_ -

"Shino Aburame. Your jonin instructor will be Kakashi Hatake."

 _'Aw man, not Bug Boy. Still, he's better than that Naruto kid. He'd only drag Sasuke down.'_ Sakura thought. Shino wasn't thrilled about being on the same team as Sasuke, but he knew better than to let his personal feelings disrupt his ninja career, so he accepted it. As for Sasuke, he didn't care.

"Team 8 will consist of Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Naruto Uzumaki. Your jonin instructor will be Kurenai Yūhi."

Hinata, who was sitting between the two boys, put her arms around her new teammates. "All right! Looks like we're team you guys!" Naruto silently thanked God for putting him on the same team as Hinata. Kiba was glad as well, though not as much as Naruto. Sasuke however, was pissed but didn't let it show. He didn't care if he wasn't in the same team as Hinata, but he didn't like Naruto being so close to her. _'The way things are progressing, by the time I kill Itachi, that loser will ruin any chance I have of making her mine!'_

"Do I need to teach all of you the meaning of the word 'quiet'? _sighs_ "Team 10 will consist of Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara. Your jonin instructor will be Asuma Sarutobi."

None of them were surprised. Their clans created the best ninja squad formation, the Ino-Shika-Cho. It was only natural that the would be teamed together.

Iruka continued to list the teams assigned, but as far as the others were concerned none of the other teams mattered. Once he finished, the seven friends got together. "Hey, you said you could make a solid clone, right? Not an illusion?" Shikamaru asked.

"Y-yeah," Naruto answered.

"Come on, show us!" Hinata commanded.

"Yeah, come on, you had us worried. You owe it to us," Choji added.

"Agreed," Shino said.

"Um, ok." Naruto formed a handsign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Thirty Narutos popped up in puffs of smoke.

"Whoa. That's a lot of Narutos." Ino commented.

Shino poked two of the Narutos, in case one was the original. "The clones are solid."

"Impressive Naruto." Hinata said, causing Naruto to blush a bit as he dispelled the jutsu.

"By the way Shino, I feel sorry for you. You have to be on the same team as that lousy Uchiha." Kiba said.

"Kiba! Don't say that. Sure, Sasuke can be, um rude, but I'm sure under that rough exterior lies a true gentleman."

 _'I doubt it,'_ Hinata thought, remembering her encounter with Sasuke last night. She didn't have the heart to tell her what happened. After all, though indirectly, Sasuke played a major role in ending Ino's previous friendship with Sakura. Neither Ino nor Sakura thought clearly when he was involved. Hinata believed Ino needed to see for herself what kind of person Sasuke really is.

"Alright, lets get lunch! Oh, and before you say anything Naruto, this time we're getting BBQ." Choji said.

The others laughed while Naruto nodded. He decided he did make his friends eat ramen too often, so he went along with Choji's idea. When they arrived, they had some trouble with the establishment letting Naruto in, but they changed there tune when they realised he was friends with Choji. Every restaurant knew of the infamous Akimichi appetite, and someone would have to be crazy to drive one away. So the staff grudgingly served Naruto.  
-

After lunch, everyone split up to meet their new sensei. Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba didn't have to wait long for their sensei to show up. "Good evening. I will be your jonin instructor. First I like to get to know you, so I'd like you to tell me your name, likes, dislikes, and any goal or dream you have. I'll go first. My name is Kurenai Yūhi. My likes include gardening, friends, and reading. My dislikes are drunks, traitors, and those that push others around. Right now my goal to make all of you fine shinobi."  
After she finished, Hinata popped up. "My name is Hinata Hyūga. I like my friends, cinnamon rolls, and pranking. I hate arragant jerks like Uchiha, and shellfish. My dream is to change my clan for the better!"

 _'This girl has got a fire burning in her. Plus she doesn't seem as stuck up as the rest of her clan.'_

Kiba spoke now. "I'm Kiba Inuzuka. I like beef jerky, my friends, and walking Akamaru." Akamaru barked in agreement. "My dislikes are cats and people who disrespect my friends. My goal is to become a strong shinobi and beat a really strong opponant."

 _'A lot of bark. I hope he has the bite to back it up. I guess it's my job to make sure.'_

Naruto tapped his index fingers and was barely audiable. "Um, m-my name is Naruto Uzumaki. I, I like r-ramen, my friends, and um," he instinctivly glances at Hinata but turns back before she and Kiba notice and continues, "c-cooking. I d-dislike those who t-treat others p-poorly, e-especially with n-no v-valid reason. And my uh, my dream is..." Naruto stops talking.

 _'This kid is really shy. I'll have my work cut out for me breaking him out of his shell. And from that quick glance I caught, he like our little heiress friend. Interesting.'_ "Naruto, please tell us what your dream is. You've got me curious, and from the looks on your friends, they are too. Don't worry, none of us will make fun of you." Kurenai said reasuringly. Hinata nodded. Despite being friends for little over two years, she had no idea of the blond's goals for the future.

"W-well, my um, my dream," Naruto took a deep breathe and managed to spit out with stuttering, "is to be the greatest Hokage!" he finished, a little louder than he wanted. Naruto felt embarassed and quickly looked to the floor.

No one was expecting this (except you readers of course). They just looked at him, not sure of how to respond. Finally Kurenai asked the question on everyone's mind. "Naruto, do you truely understand what it means to be Hokage or what your job would be?"

A few moments passed before Naruto responded, "Y-yeah. As Hokage, it w-would be my job t-to protect the v-village and everyone in it, even at the cost of your own life."

Kurenai was shocked. She had heard of how the villages treated him, and yet right now he was saying he'd give his life to protect the village that hated him. _'I've seen people go through less and end up resenting the world. This boy truely is his father's son.'_ "That's a fine dream Naruto. And as your sensei, I'm going to help you all achieve your dreams." She said regarding everyone. "Lets meet up tomarrow at 8am so I can test you guys and see what your made of. Dismissed." _'This group has potentcial. They all seem to value their friendship, which is important in teamwork. Maybe I'll let them enter the Chunin Exams if they're strong enough, but the exams are months away, so they have time.'_

As they got up, Hinata couldn't help but admire her blond friend. _'I've seen first-hand what the villagers have done to him, and what he almost did as a result.'_ she thought as the image of a broken Naruto holding a kunai to his chest enter her mind. She shuttered at the memory of that day. _'And yet, for some reason, he doesn't hate them. You truely are strong, Naruto. Any woman would be lucky to have you.'_ However, the idea of Naruto with another girl sickened her. _'No, not any woman. Me.'_ she though as she finally confessed to herself her feelings for the boy.

As everyone left, no one but Kurenai noticed the shadow near the building.  
-

Kakashi had been eavesdropping on Team 8's, or more specifically Naruto, as he heard the blue-eyed boy's dream. _'Hokage eh. Just like his mother and father. They would be proud to hear this, I'm sure.'_ The one-eyed jonin then left and made his way toward his own team. _'Hm, I wonder what kind of potential Sasuke has? His Sharingan hasn't activated yet, but I'm sure once we start more strenuous missions, they'll show themselves. Then his real training will begin. Shino is an Aburame, so his jutsu and combat skills will be insect based. I'll have to talk to his father to get an idea on how to develop his skills. Still, some taijutsu lessions will keep him well-rounded and help him in close-combat. Sakura may be the most difficult to train. On paper she shows potential. However, her instructors tell me she spends more time fawning over Sasuke then developing her skills. That may prove to be a problem.'_

When Kakashi reached the classroom, Sakura spoke up, "Sensei, your late," she said, trying to sound respectful but she couldn't hide the annoyance in her voice.

"I have to agree, sensei. I believe we were all suppose to start over an hour ago." Shino said in his emotionless voice.

"Hm." Sasuke grunted, clearly annoyed by how long this was taking.

"Sorry guys. I was helping a pregnant lady with her groceries." Kakashi responded.

His new students just looked at him in disbelief. _'This is going to be a recuring thing, I know it,'_ they all thought.  
-

Naruto: Why'd you take away my Rinnegan?

Alpha: Did you really think I'd let you use something as powerful as the Rinnegan so early in the story?

Naruto: So what was the point in adding it?

Alpha: Rest assured, the Rinnegan will make a reappearence. How ever, you may have to wait until the end of the Chunin Exams or even later.

Naruto: Fine.

Kakashi: Hey, you finally finish his chapter.

Alpha: Yeah, by the Kakashi. I have a question.

Kakashi: Yes?

Alpha: What's under your mask? (Sasuke suddenly pops up out of nowhere)

Kakashi: What's under my mask? I'll show you. (Everyone leans closer) Behind this mask...

Naruto, Alpha, Sasuke: _'I'll finally see what's under his mask!'_

Kakashi: (pulls down his mask) is another mask! Pretty cool, right? (Everyone drops comically)

Naruto: _'Ah man!'_

Sasuke: _'Just like last time.'_

Alpha: So, what's under that one? (Naruto and Sasuke jumped back up)

Kakashi: (Pulls down his mask) A third mask! (And down they go)

(Half an hour of mask removal later)

Alpha: HOW MANY MASK DO YOU WEAR?

Kakashi: Well, let me think. I know it was 15 less than yesterday, but 12 more than the day before... (All fall down again)

Alpha, Naruto, Sasuke: I give up.


	6. Chapter 5 C-Rank Mission

A/N: Well, this took longer than expected. I still might change the clothes after the Wave mission, so send me ideas. Also, my poll is still up, so decide now whether Haku lives or dies.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto.

Chapter 5 C-Rank Mission

"Hinata, do you have eyes on the target?" Kurenai asked through the radio.

"Yes. The target is nearing Kiba and Naruto's position."

"Copy that. Kiba, Naruto, are you two in position."

"Just give the word and we'll show you what we're made of" Kiba responded.

"Alright. Go!"

Kiba leaped out of the bushes. He grabbed the target, but ended up with a face full of scratches before she ran away. Naruto then came out of the bushes, leading the target straight into the arms of the Hyūga heiress. As the target purred in Hinata arms, Kurenai walked up. "Alright, good work team,"

"Damn it, I hate cats. And haven't we already caught this furball four times this past month?" Kiba complained.

"Five." Naruto corrected. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Come on guys, she's not so bad." Hinata said as she scratched Tora behind her left ear.

"You say that because she likes you. He does this to me everytime!" Kiba said pointing at his scratched face.

"Alright, that's enough. Let's head to the Hokage's office and return Tora." Kurenai ordered.  
-

"There you are my precious! Mommy missed you, yes she did," Madam Shijimi shrieked as she squeezed Tora in her arms. The cat was clearly not comfortable as he struggled to breathe. "Oh I hope that beast over there didn't hurt you," She added as she pointed to Akamaru. Kiba was about to protest but one look for Kurenai and the Hokage silenced him. They did not want him upsetting the Feudal Lord's wife.

Madam Shijimi gave the Hokage her payment for the job and left. Once she was gone, Hinat spoke up, "The way she treats that cat, it's no wonder Tora keeps running away." The Hokage and Kurenai were about to lecture her about being respectful, but they just sighed. They knew she would just ignore them. Beside, they all knew she wasn't wrong. If any one of them were in that position, they'd run too.

"Well here's your payment. That's your third job today. Will you be taking another or will that be all?" Hiruzen asked.

"No Lord Hokage. That will be our last mission for the day." Kurenai answered.

"Very well. Dismissed."

Kurenai and her team left the building. It was 4:23pm. "Ok, we have enough time to get some training in, so lets head to the training grounds.

For the past month, Kurenai has been training her team in taijutsu and chakra control. True, she was no where near Guy's level when it came to taijutsu, but that didn't mean she wasn't skilled in it. And as the Leaf's Genjutsu Mistress, she was the perfect person to improve their chakra control. She even taught Kiba and Hinata a few basic genjutsu. However, Naruto proved completely incapable of performing any genjutsu. Still, by the end of the month, they had already mastered tree climbing and were moving on to water walking.

At around 5:30pm Kurenai dismissed her team. The three friends walked together toward Naruto's place when Hinata started to complain. "Man, I'm sick of all these D-rank missions! They're nothing but chores other people are too lazy to do! I mean, dish washing, fence painting, babysitting..."

"Uck, don't remind me. It took all night for me to get that horrible stench that little stinker made in his diaper out of me and Akamaru's nose." Akamaru whimpered as he recalled that day.

"Um, I d-didn't mind that m-much." Naruto admitted.

"Yeah, because for some reason that baby liked you better than the rest of us." Hinata said, trying to sound annoyed. However, she couldn't help but be amused at how well he got along with young one. She remembered how the mother was tentative to allow him into her home. Kurenai's reasurances were that the baby would be fine were the only reason she allow him in. _'How come no one else can see him the way that child did?'_ Hinata could still remember how the mother screamed and ran to get her child away from the 'demon,' as well as the sad look on Naruto's face. She was acting like he was going to hurt the baby when in truth, he kept her and Kiba from doing so.

They arrived at Naruto's place and then went there separate ways. Naruto made himself some dinner before laying on his bed. Sleep was difficult for him ever since he heard that voice in his head back at the Hokage's office. _'Why haven't I heard anything since? Could that have been the Nine-Tails? Or was I just imagining things?'_ The dreams he had made it worse. Some nights he would have strange dreams about a sewer and a cage that was too dark to see into, or nightmares. One of his nightmares, he could see the Hidden Leaf Village burn. In this dream, he was huge and was killing ninja and civilians alike. The worst part was, he would later look at his reflection and see the Nine-Tailed Fox staring back.

This time, this dream was about his friends. They found out about his secret and were giving him the same look the villagers gave him. And then they would abandon him.

The worst part of the dream involved Hinata. While the rest of his friend walked away, Hinata slowly approached him, kunai in hand. The kunai didn't have any tags or special markings, but for some reason, it felt familiar.

"Hinata? Wha-what are you doing?" Naruto asked, his voiced not filled with terror or confusion, but pain as he watched the person he cared for the most, the first friend he ever had, walk up to him weapon drawn.

"Don't worry Naruto." she said in a comforting voice that was clearly false, "I'm only finishing what you started."

That's when he recognized the kunai she had. It was the same one from two years ago, the one he used to try and...

"No, Hinata please!" But she didn't listen. Instead, she lifted the kunai up and thrusted it into his heart.

When the blade pierced his heart, he woke up sitting up right and sweating heavily. Trying desperatatly to calm himself down, he went through the breathing excercises Kurenai taught them. Once he caught his breathe and settled down, he took a cold shower and changed into another pair of pajamas. He laid in bed thinking about his dream. Naruto wasn't a fool. He knew such a scenario was highly unlikely. Actually, Naruto truely did not know how his friends would react. All he knew was that when they find out, nothing would be the same.  
-

Sasuke walk around his house. The building where laughter and yelling could be heard from was silent, as it had been for years ever since _that_ night. Memories of his mother and father would plague his mind, but Sasuke didn't mind. In fact, he used those memories to fuel his desire to see Itachi's lifeless body lay at his feet. _'Brother, just you wait. Once I obtain the Mangekyo, I will find you and I will avenge our clan! I'll make you suffer for what you did to our family!'_ he would alway think.

But for the past month, Sasuke's thoughts weren't focused on Itachi. No, they were focused on a certain heiress and her blue-eyed companion. He didn't care that he wasn't on the same team as her, but he was angered that Naruto was with her. He would rather have the blond loser on his team then on her's. With each day, Hinata and Naruto were getting closer and closer, and though the two were oblivious to each others' true feelings, Sasuke knew it was only a matter of time. _'I still can't believe she's_ _interested in him. Still, the fact remains that while Itachi's death is a priority, I need to secure my future with Hinata. Her Byakugan is the key to the Uchiha's rebirth, and that damn blond is in the way. Luckily, the loser isn't very populor. Why isn't important. The fact is after what I overheard eariler, I know just how to insure my future.'_

Sasuke was passing by the Hyūga Compound when he overheard one of the guards talking about how Hiashi tried yet again to convince the Hokage to get Naruto out of Hinata team.

"Not that I blame him. After all, I wouldn't want my child near that boy. You knew what..." the guard was saying

"Shush! Did you forget the Third's law? We're not suppose to talk about that, especially in front of others," his partner said, pointing at Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't know what this secret was, but he knew it had to be something major to make it a law not to speak of. And it had to be pretty bad to make people talk about Naruto like that. At first, Sasuke thought about trying to find out what Naruto's secret was, but he decided against it. If the Hokage was willing to punish people for saying anything, he knew investigating would bring too much trouble.

As Sasuke laid in bed, an idea come to mind. He would take advantage of the Hyūga Clan's desire to separate Naruto and Hinata. All he had to do was find the right words for his proposal.  
-

The next morning, Team 8 met at the Hokage's office. "Alright, there are a number of D-ranked missions available. Lets see, one man wants his house painted. Kiba, your mother has put in a request to have some of the ninja hounds walked. If not, there's dish washing, one of the farmers needs some farm hand, or..." Hiruzen was saying.

"NO! No more D-ranked missions!" Hinata shouted. She was sick of them. "Those are all nothing but chores people are too lazy to do themselves. Give us a real mission!"

"Yeah, Hinata right! We've trained hard. We're ready so we should at least get a C-ranked mission!" Kiba added. Both sit down in defiance, neither willing to get up until they got a really mission.

Kurenai just put her hand over her eyes and shook her head. _'Good greif, these two are going to cause much trouble for me.'_ She looked at Naruto, who merely looked down doing his finger tapping habit. _'He's still so shy, but at least he's level-headed.'_ "I apologise for my students', er, disruptive behavior."

"It's alright Kurenai. I'm sure they're just eager to prove themselves." The Hokage then faced Naruto. "What about you Naruto? Do you think you and your teammates can handle a C-rank mission?" Naruto didn't say anything, but nodded. "Well, Kurenai. The decision is ultimately yours. I do have a C-rank mission availible, however whether your team gets it or not is up to you."

Kurenai thought for a moment. Her team had worked hard and they have completed the minimal amount of D-rank missions required. Also, C-rank missions weren't typically dangerous. The worse that normaly happened was a bandit attack. That said, there have been moments where a low rank mission would be meet with an unexpected complication, raising its rank. Still, she could see the determination in all of them. "My team is ready."

"Very well. I have just the mission. You team will act as bodyguards on a journey."

"Yes! Is a feudel lord? Or an ambassador? Come on old man Hokage, who?" Hinata asked, giddy with excitment.

"I hope it a beautiful princess." Kiba said. "Maybe she'll have a friend for Akamaru." Akamaru barked happily at the idea.

"Don't be so impatient. I will bring him in now." Hiruzen said. Kiba was saddened upon hearing the word 'him'. "Bring in our guest." he shouted to the people outside the office.

The door opened and an old man with a bottle walked in. "What the, a bunch a snot-nosed brats and their pup? That's my protection?"

"Brats?! Let me at him!" Hinata yelled as she and Kiba rushed at the client. Kurenai had to restrain Kiba while Naruto held Hinata back.

"Hinata! Kiba! We're suppose to be protecting the client, not attacking him!" Kurenai said, keeping Kiba in a headlock.

"C-calm down, Hinata." Naruto was too busy keeping her from hurting the client to notice he was practically hugging her. "H-he's just d-drunk."

"Just a drunk?!" The client said, mishearing what Naruto said. "I'm not just a drunk. I'm Tazuna, a master bridge builder. I need to return to the Land of Waves to build a bridge that will change our land's economy and I expect you brats to get me there safely."

"Alright. Kurenai, your team will leave for the Land of Waves tomarrow at 10. I suggest you all spend the rest of the day preparing. It'll take a few days to get there. Dismissed."

Kurenai released Kiba. Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata realised their position and backed away from each other blushing. Team 8 then turned and left to prepare for their first real ninja mission.  
-

"Man, did he stink!" Hinata said. She, Kiba, and Naruto were eating at Ichiraku.

"At least you don't have a hightened sense of smell. His manners are even worse. I bet he pissed someone off at a bar, that's why he needs protection," Kiba added.

"Hey guys!" Ino shouted. She and her team entered the stand. "I knew I'd find you here."

"H-hey Ino, Shikamaru, Choji," Naruto stuttered.

"Hey you three. Its been awhile." Hinata exclaimed.

"Yeah, Asuma-sensei has been keeping us busy with training and missions. Its a real drag," Shikamaru said.

"Come on, Shikamaru. Asuma-sensei wants us to be great shinobi. Besides, he pays for lunch." Choji argued.

"Yeah I know, but it seriously cuts into my cloud watching."

"Jeez, Shikamaru, you are so lazy. You barely put any effort into training." Ino complained. She then turned her attention on Naruto and Hinata. "So how you two been?" She said, putting emphasis on the word you.

"We've been fine Ino," Hinata answered, a little worried over her friend's tone of voice. She heard it plenty of times back when Choji had a crush on this girl back at the academy. _'What was her name again? Eh, doesn't matter anymore.'_ Needless to say, it did work out, as she revealed herself to be another Sasuke fangirl. _'Poor Choji. It took weeks to get over her.'_ The point is, during Choji infatuation, Ino used that tone of voice to tease him. Hinata barely suppress a laugh, and sometimes failed altogether, when Ino used that tone of voice to make him blush. But now it was her turn. _'I don't remember telling her I liked Naruto. She's good.'_

Naruto, on the other hand, was not surprised. While he never admitted he like liked Hinata, his reactions to her teasing, especially the one about kissing, was all the evidence she needed. _'I hope Ino doesn't reveal my feelings. What if Hinata doesn't feel the same way? I don't want to lose her because of that.'_

 **"Your insecurities are getting on my nerves kit."**

Naruto nearly choked on his ramen. _'W-was that y-you 9-Tails?'_ Again, no response. _'If that was the 9-Tails, does the fact that he's speaking to me mean he's going to try something?'_ Naruto sighed internally. He would have to speak with the Hokage after the mission.

"I wonder how Shino is doing?" Kiba asked. "We haven't seen him since the teams were chosen."

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Everyone turned to the right to see Shino. "By the way, I'm sorry but I couldn't lose them."

"What do you..." Hinata started till she saw the two figures behind him. _'Oh shit.'_

"SASUKE! Over here!" Ino shouted. "Come sit next to me."

"Oh no. Sasuke is sitting next to me, Ino Pig!" Sakura argued.

"No, he's sitting next to me, Forehead Girl." Ino countered.

While the two girls fought, Sasuke walked up to Naruto, who was sitting next to Hinata. "Hey loser, move."

"Huh?"

"You heard me, move!"

"N-no." Naruto said softly. He stopped eating but didn't look up from his bowl.

"What?" Sasuke asked, a little annoyed.

"You heard him. He said no." Hinata said. "Why do you want to sit there anyway?"

"I don't have to explain! Just move!"

"Ahem," Sasuke and Hinata turned to look at Teuchi. "Sasuke, right? I believe those seats over there are available." Teuchi spoke kindly, but his face said that he wouldn't tolorate someone harassing one of his customers, especially one of his favorite customers.

Sasuke got the message and grudgingly sat next to Sakura and Ino as both asked him on a date. Naruto looked up at Teuchi and mouthed a thank you. Teuchi smiled and nodded his head.

With everyone there, Kiba decided to start bragging. "Hey, guess what? We got our first C-rank mission today."

Everyone looked at him in disbelief except Naruto and Hinata. Surprisingly, Sasuke was the first to speak. "What? How did you guys get a C-rank mission before me?"

"I believe you mean us." Shino correct. Even after a month of team-building exercises, Sasuke still had trouble acknowledging the fact that he was part of a team. "We are a team after all. I must admit, I am curious as to how you were able to convince your sensei and the Hokage to give you a C-rank mission when all of us have only had a month of training?"

"We're just that great! Right Naruto?" Kiba said.

"R-right."

Sasuke just finished his food, payed for his meal, and left. Sakura quickly did the same and followed him. Ino almost followed suit, but decided to stick with Hinata. Ino was thankful Hinata didn't share her infatuation with Sasuke. After all, it ruined her friendship with Sakura.

So the 7 rookies started discussing the events of the last month, unaware their senseis were doing the same thing.  
-

"So Asuma, how is training the newest Ino-Shika-Cho?" Kurenai asked as she ate some of her dango.

"Well, they have potential. Their teamwork is exceptional and they understand their families' jutsu quite well. However, there are problems. Shikamaru is brilliant but lacks any drive. Choji is strong but I've only been able to use training dummies. He refuses to spar with me or the others for fear of hurting us. As for Ino, she spends more time criticizing Choji and Shikamaru then actually train. That said, I truely believe they'll one day surpass their fathers." Asuma answered as he took out yet another cigarette, despite the glares from his two friends.

"Anyway, what about you Kakashi? From what I've heard, the Uchiha kid isn't exactly a team player. I'm surprised they actually passed your test."

"Well, it was close. Shino and Sasuke each worked independently to try and get the bells from me. Sasuke was quite skilled. I didn't expect that he already knew fire jutsu. Shino was difficult too. I had to keep an eye out for his bugs, with almost took the bells from me on a number of occasions. As for Sakura, she spent the entire time watching and admiring Sasuke. I easily neutrilized her with a simple genjutsu. When time was up, I decided to give them one more chance. I tried Sakura to a post and told the other to not to feed her or they'd fail. Then I 'left'. Shino was the first to offer her food, saying they had to work together in order to have a chance against me. Sasuke begrudgingly agreed and fed some of his food to Sakura. Once I saw this, I appeared in front of them yelling 'YOU' sounding angry, but before I could finish, Shino interupted me saying 'pass'. Apparently, he figured out the purpose of my test. So I passed them."

"You must be getting soft Kakashi." Asuma joked.

" _sigh_ I actually think you might be right. While they work well enough together when required to, they don't actually bond with one another. Shino tolerates Sasuke's presense but makes no attempts to befriend him. Sasuke thinks himself above the others and feels they would only drag him down. Sakura is creeped out by Shino's insects and perfers to spend her time trying to woo Sasuke."

"Training must be tough then." Kurenai commented.

"True. When not on missions, I usually put them through team building exercises. These proved to only slightly improve there teamwork. As for individual training, I've focused more on Sasuke. I'm unfamiliar with his family's insect-based jutsus, so I've had to leave that to his father. I have, however, been improving his taijutsu skills. Sakura shows she has great chakra control, but would rather fawn over Sasuke then develop her skills. And what about you Kurenai? How is ... your team?"

Kurenai knew he really meant 'How is Naruto'. "My team is doing quite well. It's proving difficult to get Naruto out of his shell, but his teammates are helpping, especially Hinata. I think our little heiress has a thing for our Jinchūriki. And I can tell the feeling is mutual."

"Really?" Kakashi said. _'So he fell for a prankster just like his father did?'_

"I doubt Hiashi would be happy to hear that. After all, my old man has told me about how Hiashi has been trying get Naruto put on a different team away from his daughter." Asuma said.

"I can't believe he cares about his clan's image more then his daughter's happiness, or the happiness of the son of Hitomi's best friend." Kurenai exclaimed.

"Anyway, their training?" Kakashi asked, attempting to get back on track.

"Oh, right. Well, I've already put the team through the tree-walking exercise. Hinata got the hang of it quickly, though that's no surprise, given her family's fighting style. It took Kiba and Naruto a few days, but they got the hang of it. I've also manage to teach Kiba and Hinata some simple genjutsu. Naruto, however, has proven unable to preform genjutsu due to his vast and overly-developed chakra capacity. So I've spent more time teaching him to dispel a genjutsu."

"It seems I drew the short end of the stick." Kakashi said. Then he shrugged and added, "Oh well. Too late to change things now. Anyway, I heard about a client from the Land of Waves requesting bodyguards. The danger should be minimal, so I think my team will take the job. Maybe a real mission will help their teamwork."

"Not if my team gets it first." Asuma argued, lighting another death stick. "And give your track record for tardiness, I have nothing to worry about."

"Sorry boys, but your both too late." Kurenai said with a smile. "My team leaves tomarrow at 10."

"What? Are you sure your team is ready?" Kakashi said, worried about his sensei's son.

"More than your team." Kurenai countered. "Besides, you said it yourself. The danger is minimal. The worst that could happen is a bunch of bandits. My students are prepared for that. And if not, I'll beat them with ease."

"Well, good luck then." Asuma said, raising his glass. "Not that you'll need it."  
-

Team 8 waited by the gate for their sensei and Tazuna. Each of them spend the night preparing before going to sleep. A few minutes after 10, Kurenai and Tazuna showed.

"Ugh, did he spend the night passed out at a bar? He sure smells like he did." Kiba complained quietly to his teammates. _'Why couldn't we get a princess?'_

"Alright team, it we'll arrive at the Land of Waves in about three days. I hope you all packed properly." Kurenai waited for her team to nod before she continued, "I don't expect to run into any trouble but keep an eye out anyway. The life of a ninja is full of surprises. Kiba, I want you and Akamaru up front. Use your noses to sniff out any trouble. Hinata, I want you to activate your Byakugan at regular intervals to spot traps or any enemies Kiba and Akamaru miss. Naruto, you stand guard by the client. Remember, you must make sure he stays safe. I will bring up the rear. Understood?"

"Yes, sensei." All three shouted.

"Alright Team 8, lets move out."

Hinata jumped in the air. "Our first mission outside the village! Alright!"

Tazuna just shook his head. _'If this is the best protection I can afford, I'm a dead man. Gato will see to that.'  
_ -

Alpha: Done!

Hiashi: Really? Did you have to make me look bad?

Alpha: Hey I gave you a conscious. I just make you ignore it.

Sasuke: Don't bother agruing. I already tried while he was typing this chapter.

Hiashi: You make it seem like I care little for my daughter.

Alpha: Hey, maybe in the future, you'll listen to your conscious.

Hiashi: _sighs_ I guess I don't really have any say. (Leaves)

Alpha: You know, I've been thinking...

Sasuke: What about?

Alpha: Ideas for new stories.

Sasuke: You've barely started this one and your already thinking of another?

Alpha: Relax, I don't plan on writting new stories any time soon while I work on this one. I may not even write these stories. But who knows, maybe someone else will write one or direct me to one. (Hint, Hint) I do have one preference for them though.

Sasuke: Let me guess: NaruHina.

Naruto: Yeah, me and Hinata forever.

Alpha: Anyway, one idea is Naruto Hatake. I think that speaks for itself.

Kakashi: Maybe you'll finally appreciate good literature. (Pulls out his book)

Naruto: No way Kakashi-sensei.

Alpha: Continuing, Root Naruto, where Danzo succeeded in getting Naruto as a baby.

Naruto: Sooo, I end up like Sai?

Alpha: Perhaps in some ways, yes. My third idea can't be written by others. It's a self-insert.

Sasuke: Wait a minute, YOU as a ninja?

Alpha: Hey, I think I'd be pretty strong, given the origin I made up.

Naruto: What origin?

Alpha: Only thing I'm saying is that it's similar to Yamato's. Now my forth idea is Naruo accidently kills Sasuke at Valley of the End and...

Sasuke: Wait, why does he get to kill me?!

Alpha: As I was saying, he runs away from the village, unable to face the village, or more specifically Sakura, and all his friend look for him.

Jiraiya: As a fellow author, might I make a suggestion?

Alpha: _'Uh oh'_

Jiraiya: (with perverted grin) How about you make an Icha Icha of your own?

Kakashi: Best idea I've heard all day.

Alpha: HELL NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

Jiraiya: Aw come on. It would be... (Punch comes out from nowhere)

Tsunade: Ignore this pervert. If you even of taking his advice...

Alpha: N-no problems there. I'll just write the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 6 Mist Demons

A/N: Would have updated sooner, BUT THE ENTIRE CHAPTER GOT ERASED CLOSE TO THE END AND I HAD TO START ALL OVER AGAIN! TWICE! Needless to say I was more than a bit upset. All my hard work, gone! And after so much going back and adding stuff, changing and editing. Hopefully that will never happen again. Thanks for reading and please review. I like hearing your thoughts and maybe ideas I haven't thought of. Also, when is Naruto birthday? I not asking for the date, I know it's October 10th. I mean in between which arcs, or is it during the one month before the final exams?

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed. I still don't own Naruto.

Chapter 6 Mist Demons

"Alright, lets set up camp here," Kurenai told her team and the bridgemaker. They were at a clear a small distance from the road. Kurenai set up a genjustu that hid their presense from bandits and other minor threats. Their first day out of the Hidden Leaf was uneventful, much to Hinata and Kiba's dismay.

"Man, I was so looking forward to showing off what me and Akamaru learned." Kiba complained as they put their stuff down.

"Yeah, today was waaay too boring." Hinata agreed.

Kurenai assigned Kiba and Akamaru to hunt some wild game. While they did bring food, Kurenai thought it would a good chance to build their survival skill, especially if she decided to let them participate in the upcoming Chunin Exams. Besides, fresh game tasted much better than the ration bars they brought. Meanwhile, Hinata was fetching some firewood and Naruto was setting two tents, one for the boys and one for the girls. Meanwhile Kurenai herself was keeping an eye on Tazuna, resisting the urge to pummel him for his drunken advances. _'Lucky for him, shinobi train to deal with difficult clients, whether its drunks or stuck-up royalty.'_ Kurenai then made a mental note to start Kiba and Hinata's training when they got back.

Hinata returned with the firewood and set up a campfire. Soon after, Kiba returned with two wild turkeys. Naruto volunteered to make some stew using ingredients he brought with him. Kurenai, Kiba, and Tazuna were hesitent to accept his offer since none of them had ever had his cooking. Hinata, however, vouched for him, so they decided to give him a chance. They weren't disappointed.

After one spoonful, Kiba dove right in, licking his bowl clean afterwards and asking for more. Akamaru did the same. Naruto complied and both partners started their second bowl.

"Wow Naruto. I'm impressed. This is really good." Kurenai complemented. Naruto blushed at her praise. She then turned toward Hinata, leaned into her ear and whispered, "You picked a good one."

Hinata nearly chocked on her food once the words left Kurenai's mouth. Her face turned a little pink thinking about what Kurenai ment. Luckely (or in my opinion, unfortunately) Naruto was too busy giving Kiba his third helpings to notice. She sighed in relief, but chastised herself for it. _'Why am I so nervous about this? Naruto would be lucky to date someone like me. And even if he doesn't feel the same way, there's no way he'd let it affect our friendship, right? I mean, I'm his best friend.'_ Then she remembered how Ino was Sakura's best friend after she defended Sakura from bullies and yet Sakura herself ended the friendship to purse Sasuke. _'Maybe I should wait and see if he feels the same way.'_

"So Naruto, when did you learn to cook?" Kiba asked.

"Um, sh-shortly after m-meeting Hinata."

"Why?"

"W-well she changed my l-life for the b-better," Naruto stuttered. "I mean, i-if it weren't for her..." Naruto stopped and looked down sadly. Kiba and Kurenai both knew Naruto had a troubled childhood, but Hinata was the only one who knew exactly what he was refering to. "A-anyway, I was l-looking for a w-way to thank her, so I uh a-asked Teuchi to g-give me some cooking lessions."

Hinata was a little surprised. She never asked when he learned to cook and was flattered that he did it for her. She turned a way to hide a blush that breifly appearing on her face. _'Why does he have this effect on me. I never blush, and yet I do it so easily around him.'_ "You didn't have to do that for me, but thank you Naruto. You're a good friend." Again, Naruto blushed, only a little bit deeper since the complement came from Hinata this time.

"Hey, if being a ninja doesn't work out, I'm sure Teuchi would hire in a sec." Kiba said. "Then again, he might be worried you'll eat all the ramen." Everyone laughed, except for Tazuna, who kept looking around, worried about something.  
-

Sasuke laid awake in bed. Sleep never came easily to him, as memories of his clan would often plague him. He would remember his mother's laughter and one of the few times he saw his father look at him with pride. But the worst memories were of Itachi, the brother he looked up to. The brother he thought loved him. And the brother who betrayed him and the entire clan. He still remember Itachi's Tsukuyomi, which force him to watch Itachi kill every single member of his clan over and over. These memories served as a reminder of his goal. They hardened his heart, and they push him to become strong so he can finally avenge the Uchiha and bring about its rebirth, stronger than ever.

However, on this particular night, he was not thinking about his older brother. No, he was thinking about Hinata, the girl he need to make the Uchiha stronger than ever. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to win her heart. _'Damn, I have an army of fangirls and the one girl who isn't crazy about me is the one I want.'_ And he knew exactly who to blame for that: Naruto Uzumaki.

Even if the two were completely oblivious to each other's feelings, Sasuke could see it, and it was only a matter of time before one of them acted on it. _'If only I knew Naruto's secret.'_ He was fully aware of the looks people gave the blond, yet he had no idea why. Everyone he asked said the same thing, that they weren't suppose to talk about it by order of the Hokage. And if the Hokage was involved, it must be major. Unfortunately, all efforts to learn said secret ended in failure.

 _'Of course, even if I did reveal his dirty little secret to Hinata, that still wouldn't guarantee she'd coming running to me, so how do I ensure her future as an Uchiha?'_ Suddenly, an idea formed inside Sasuke's mind. _'Of course, that's the answer! Why didn't I think of this sooner.'_ Sasuke closed his eyes an went to sleep. Tomorrow, he would start planning.  
-

Naruto woke up with a start. He had another 9-Tails rampage nightmare. This time though, it started with the image of a red eye with three tomoes. Looking to his left he saw Kiba in his sleeping bag with Akamaru curled up next to him. Turning his right, Tazuna was fast asleep. Unable to go back to sleep, Naruto decided to get some fresh air, so he quietly tiptoed out of the tent.

Once outside, he noticed someone else. Hinata was sitting down, leaning back against a tree. Her eyes were locked on the night sky. The light of the full moon shined on her, giving her hair a dark blue tint. _'She's so... beautiful.'_ He just looked at her, enthralled by her beauty.

Hinata soon felt his presense. She looked at him, not noticing his daze, and said "Can't sleep either, huh?"

Naruto snapped out of his daze as soon as she spoke and looked down blushing. "Y-yeah."

"Sooo... Since we're both up, why don't you join me?" Hinata patted the ground to her left, gesturing him to sit there. Naruto nodded and slowly made his way next to her. As he sat down, both resisted the urge to blush, and both failed, turning their heads away for each other. _'What's wrong with me? It's not like I haven't been this close to him before. So why does this feel... different?'_

"Hey, um, H-Hinata?" Hinata out of her train of thought and looked at him. "W-why are y-you, uh, up anyway?"

"I sort of picked up one of Shikamaru's habits, only instead of cloud watching, I watch the night sky," Hinata answered. "So, what about you?"

"Hm?"

"Come on. I told you my reason, it's only fair you give me yours. Why are you up?"

"Um, w-well," Naruto tried to come up with a good lie. "I j-just uh w-wasn't tried."

Hinata raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "Naruto, I know when you're lying. We have been friends for the past two years."

Naruto sighed. _'Should've known it wouldn't work.'_ "O-ok, the truth is, I h-had a n-nightmare and just c-couldn't f-fall back a-asleep. I-it's n-nothing, d-don't worry a-about it."

Hinata could tell he was lying about that last part, but only shook her head and turned her attention to the moon. "Its beautiful, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah," Naruto agreed. Then, without thinking, he added, without a stutter, "Just like your eyes." As soon as the words left his mouth, he brought his right hand over his mouth and turned away, his face as red as a tomatoe. Removing his hand but still looking away, he quickly added, "I uh, I m-m-meant t-that y-your e-eyes uh r-resemble the m-moon. I um I d-didn't m-mean that their b-beautiful. Not that they aren't, um I m-mean they are but uh..."

Hinata couldn't help but giggle as Naruto continued to fumble his words. _'He's kinda cute when he gets this way.'_ "Don't worry, I think I know what you mean." She smiled at him then set her eyes onto the night sky. However, her thoughts wondered to her childhood, specifically one person. "You know, my mother use to say my eyes were like two lavender moons."

Naruto just nodded. Hinata's mother Hitomi was a sore subject for her and Naruto knew it. She died giving birth to Hanabi, and Hinata missed her dearly. "I-if you d-don't want to t-talk about her..."

"No. I admit it makes me feel sad, but it's better than forgetting about her. Anyway, did you know she was a lot like me when she was young?"

"R-really?"

"If you thought I was bad, the stories she told me make me look like an amateur. Of course, she had a partner to help. But she was kind, helping others who have been bullied or treated badly. In fact, bullies were usually her victums. When she was alive, my dad wasn't as cold. In fact, he acted more like a loving father and husband than a clan head." Hinata remember how Hiashi grew cold when Hitomi died. It got worse when Hizashi died not long afterwards. Losing two of the people he cared most for, Hiashi was never the same. Hinata turned to look at Naruto, who had a sad look on his face. Curious as to why _he_ was sad, she asked, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I-it's nothing." Naruto assured.

But Hinata wasn't having any of it. "I told you, I know when your lying. So tell me, is something the matter?"

"W-well, I guess, I was j-just wondering w-what my mom and dad were l-like."

 _'Shit!'_ Hinata thought. _'I can't believe I forgot. Here I am, missing my mother, who I was lucky enough to spend time with and have memories of, while Naruto never knew his parents, or even who they were.'_ "I'm sorry."

"Y-you have n-nothing to be sorry a-about. I'm g-glad you have fond m-memories of your mother."

"I'm sure someone knows who they were. Why don't we ask someone?" Hinata offered.

Naruto shook his head. "I-I've already asked a-anyone who would t-talk to me. T-they either didn't k-know or w-won't tell me."

"What about the Hokage? Surely the old man knows something." Again, Naruto shook his head.

"H-he was the f-first one I a-asked. He, he told me I w-wasn't ready to k-know." This angered Hinata. She thought I was wrong for the old man to keep something so important as the identity of Naruto's parents a secret. Naruto had every right to know. But before she could voice her opinion, Naruto continued. "The w-worse thing is, I a-almost d-don't want to k-know."

"WHAT?! How could you not want to know who your parents were?" Hinata was confused.

"The w-way the H-Hokage said I w-was ready to k-know scares me. I-it makes me think, w-what if they w-weren't good people? O-or what if I w-was an accident they n-never wanted? What if..."

Naruto was on the verge of tears when Hinata shouted, "Stop!" She wasn't too loud as to wake the other or give away their position, but it was loud enough to get the young blond's attention. She looked him right in the eyes. "Naruto, I don't know why the old man won't tell you anything, but you shouldn't think like that. If you want my guess, I bet your parents loved you very much. In fact, I bet they died to keep you safe. I bet they were still alive, you would have had so many fond memories with them. And I bet they're cheering you on from the other side, just like my mom is cheering me on."

Naruto let a small smiled appear on his face. "Y-your right Hinata."

"Aren't I always?" She said with a smug grin. Then, two of them just sat there, eyes locked, lavender eyes meeting blue. And slowly, their faces inched forward slowly, the distance between their lips becoming shorter and shorter.

Then they realised what they were doing and stopped. (Sorry. I know you hate me for this.) They both turned red and immediatly separated. An awkward silence drifted between the two before Hinata decided to take their minds off it. "Y-you know what would be funny?" She asked, stuttering a little.

"W-what?"

"If your mom was my mom's best friend."

"I d-doubt it, but t-that would be c-cool. W-what was h-her name?"

"I don't know, but I remember what her nickname was."

"Oh. W-what was it?"

"The Red Hot Habanero."

Naruto chuckled and the two friends continued to watch the night sky. Shortly afterwards, they fell asleep right there, against that tree, right next to each other. And they both had pleasant dreams.  
-

Kurenai woke up and stretched her arms. She looked to her right and found Hinata's sleeping bag empty. _'Did she wake up before me?'_ Kurenai made her way out of the tent and found Hinata. And she wasn't alone.

Naruto and Hinata were asleep, leaning against each other. _'Awww. They look so cute!'_ Quickly and quietly, Kurenai returned to her tent, thanking God she remembered her camera. After taking a few snapshots, she make her way toward the sleeping genin. _'I've got to show this to Kakashi and Iruka. Maybe Anko and Asuma too. And I wouldn't be surprised if Lord Third wanted a copy.'_ She put away her camera and shook their sholders. The two genin openned their eyes.

"Have a good night?" Kurenai teased. Hinata and Naruto realised their position and blushed as they stood and separated, Hinata more pink and Naruto full red. Kurenai could barely contain her laughter. "I guess I have to keep an eye on you two if your going to sneak away to sleep with each other."

"N-no, sensei. That's not... I mean we didn't..." Hinata tried to explain while Naruto turned redder and fainted. Luckely, Kurenai caught him before he hit the ground.

"Relax, Hinata. I'm only teasing." Kurenai said, laughing. Hinata glared at her sensei for a moment. "But seriously, why were you two sleeping out here?"

"Neither of us could sleep, so we talked a bit and then we watched the stars." Hinata answered, her blush disappearing.

"How romantic."

"Sensei!" Hinata's blush returned.

"Hey, what's going on our here?" Kurenai and Hinata turned to see Kiba exit the other tent, with Akamaru on his head. "Why is Naruto out here still asleep." Kurenai remembered the unconscious blond in her arms and woke him up.

Tazuna soon exited the tent. "Hey, can we get going soon? I'd like to be home as soon as possible. That bridge won't build itself."

"He's right. The soon we leave, the less chance of something happening on our way."

Kiba and Hinata both didn't mind the idea of fighting some bandits, but did as they were told and Team 8 quickly pack up their supplies. Once back on the road, they used the same formation as yesterday. Hinata and Naruto, however, were both distracted by what almost happened last night. _'Did we almost...kiss? And did he want to? Or did he not know what was going on? Why does it have to feel so complex?'_

Naruto was thinking something similar. _'I almost kissed Hinata. I can't believe I almost kissed Hinata. And... she didn't look completly against it. Or did she not know? What should I do?'_

As they walked along the road, they passed a puddle. Once Kurenai passed by it, two men popped out of the puddle. Both had forehead protectors with the symbol of the Hidden Mist village, dark brown hair, dark eyes, and a rebreather covering the lower part of their faces. One of them had a black cloak, a single large horn in the middle of his protector, and a gauntlet on his right arm. The other one wore a brown camouflage suit, two small horns, each on the edges of his protector, and a gauntlet on his left arm. The two gauntlets were connected by a chain with razors, which was wrapped around Kurenai. The two assailents pulled on the chain, ripping Kurenai to shreds.

"Ha. She wasn't so tough. Alright Meizu, let kill our target," said the man in the cloak.

"With pleasure, Gōzu," Meizu replied. And the two rushed rushed after Tazuna.

Tazuna grabbed Naruto and placed him in front of him. "Don't just stand there. Do something! Save me!"

But Naruto didn't move. He stood, frozen as images of his past flooded his mind. Memories of the villagers chasing and beating him made Naruto feel as helpless as he did back then. Gōzu and Meizu closed in for the kill, inches away from Naruto and Tazuna, gauntlets dripping with poison and sharp claws ready to slice.

Suddenly, Hinata threw a shuriken at them. The shuriken hit the middle of the chain and pinned it to a nearby tree, stopping the duo's attack. Kiba threw a kunai to help keep it in place.

"Damn brats!" Meizu shouted. The two looked at each other, then disconnected the chains and separated. Gōzu went after Tazuna and Naruto while Meiza attacked Kiba and Hinata. Their speed caught both groups off guard. Gōzu quickly slashed Naruto's throat, then stab Tazuna's heart with his gauntlet. Meanwhile, Meiza cut Kiba's chest and slashed Hinata's back.

"Mission accomplished! Now that the old man is dead we can... What the?!" Gōzu stopped and looked at the bodies, which turned into pink flower petals.

"A genjutsu? When did..."

"Tunneling Fang!" Kiba rammed into Meiza in a drill-like attack, throwing him back into a tree.

"Brother! Alright, now you've asked for it." Gōzu prepared to strike Kiba when he heard a voice behind him.

"Your in my range." He turned to see Hinata, Byakugan activated and in the Gentle Fist stance. "8 Trigrams 2 Palms... 4 Palms... 8 Palms... 16 Palms... 8 Trigrams 32 Palms!" Hinata struck 32 times, each attack closing one of his chakra points. When she finished, Gōzu laid on the ground, unable to move.

Meiza started to recover from Kiba's attack and saw his brother on the ground. "You brats are gonna die right here, right now!" He rush at Hinata, only to recieve a strong punch to his stomache by Kurenai. "W-what? But, but we... killed... you." Meiza fell unconscious and dropped to the ground. At the site of Kurenai's 'remains' was a bunch of splintered wood.

Kurenai grabbed the two and tied them to a tree, placing them in a genjutsu to keep them docile. _'So these are the infamous Demon Brothers? I'm not impressed. I mean, a puddle in the path when it hasn't rained in days? It was much too obivious.'_

"Well, I guess most of you are of use." Tazuna said, emphasizing the word 'most' and glaring at Naruto. The boy could only look down, ashamed at his weakness. Kurenai marched over to the drunk, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pinned him against a tree. "Hey, what are you..."

"Now you listen to me!" Kurenai roared. "Your going to tell me why two rogue ninja would be after you!"

"I, I don't..."

"Bullshit! You didn't seem surprised that they were targeting you. And this whole trip, when you thought no one was looking, you'd look around like you were expecting something like this to happen. Now tell me the truth!"

Tazuna gulped and told them the whole story. He told the team about Gato and how he used his wealth and influence to take over the Land of Wave's transport and shipping. Since it was an island country, this gave Gato complete control over the government, finances, and the lives of its people, using an army of mercenaries to enforce his rule.

His sad story, however, did nothing to supress Kurenai anger. "So let me get this straight, you hired CHILDREN to deal with an infamous crime lord with the money and connections to hired dangerous missing nin? This is not what would be classified as a C-rank mission, but an A-rank or at the very least a B-rank. So you not only knowingly put my students in a situation they aren't ready for, but also cheated the Hidden Leaf Village!"

"I, I'm sorry. The Land of Waves has been poor ever since Gato took over. We didn't have enough money to afford to pay for an A-rank mission."

"And it never occured to you to negotiate a payment plan with the Hokage? The fact that you think our village would turn down your request for help because you didn't have the money at the moment is an insult! Come on kids. We're heading back."

"But, but you can't!" Tazuna argued.

"You lied to us and paid for a C-rank mission knowing full well this would be A-rank. We are under no obligation to complete this mission," Kurenai countered.

"Wait sensei. I think we should finish the mission!" Hinata shouted. This was her first real mission as well as her first time outside of the Hidden Leaf Village. There was no way she was going to let something let this ruin it.

"Hinata..." Kurenai started.

"Hinata's right! We can take whatever this Gato guy throws at us. I mean, we easily took these guys down." Kurenai was about to argue that Gato may have more powerful shinobi on his payroll when Naruto decided voice his opinion.

"B-besides, we c-can't let t-those people suffer. We should h-help them."

Tazuna decided to take advantage of the situation. "Oh please, think of my people, my family! My daughter and grandson would be devastated if Gato were to kill me!" he said overdramatically.

Kurenai sighed. She could tell by the looks on her pupils' faces that they weren't going to budge. "Alright fine. But I want all of you to stay close to me and do as you're told, no questions. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sensei!" all three genin said.

Tazuna looked over his sholder when no one was looking, smiled, and held up a peace sign, thinking _'I win.'_

"Oh, and Tazuna," Kurenai called out before turning to face the bridge builder, "Once this is over, I'm not only expecting payment for a C-rank mission, but also for you to discuss a payment plan for an A-rank mission with the Hokage at some point. This is nonnegotiable! Consider it your punishment." With that, she began writting a message to the Hokage.

Tazuna sighed heavily. _'Spoke too soon. Still, I suppose I'm getting off easy, considering I've brought children into this. I just hope they're as strong as they think.'  
_ -

"Enter."

Team 7 entered the Hokage's office. They just finished another dull D-rank mission. This time they were washing dishes at Ichiraku. Strangely enough, Shino had an easier time than his teammates.

"Ah, Kakashi. I was just about have someone get you. This saves time." _'Especially since you'd most likely arrive 2 hours late.'_ "I have a mission for you alone."

"Pardon me, Lord Third, but I'm busy with my team. Surely there are other jonin capable of completing this mission."

"We will discuss that. Here is your payment, the rest of you are dismissed." The genin of Team 7 bowed a little before exiting. Once the door closed, Hiruzen explained, "Team 8 has run into some unexpected complications. It seems the client withheld some information in order to reduce the mission rank."

"I see, now I know why you want me to go."

"Yes, you are the only available jonin I can trust on a mission with Naruto. Most of our jonin still resent Naruto because of the fox spirit he carries and I fear if I send one of the other available jonin, he might have an 'accident'. Here is the message Kurenai sent. I've already sent shinobi to retrieve the ninjas they managed to capture and tie up. You should be able to catch up with them quickly at your top speed in the Land of Waves. Dismissed."

Kakashi exited and found his team waiting outside. "Well, it looks like I'll be gone for awhile. Now just because I'm away doesn't mean you can slack off on your training. I want you all to go to the library and grab a scroll for the tree climbing excerise. I expect to return to a team that can walk up trees using only chakra."

"Yes, sensei," Sakura and Shino said. Sasuke just nodded in agreement.

"Good," was all he said before he disappeared.

"Sasuke, you want to head to the library with me?" Sakura asked.

"I believe Kakashi-sensei intended for all of use to go together," Shino said. Sakura shot him a glare telling him to shut up.

"I'm busy," was all Sasuke said before leaving them, making his way to the Hyūga Complex.  
-

Kurenai and her team walk through a forest in the Land of Waves along a path in a diamond formation with Tazuna in the middle. Kurenai covered the rear with Hinata up front. Kiba covered the right flank and Naruto the left. _'We need to be careful. The next ninja Gato sent won't be chunin, but at least jonin level, and though unlikely, Gato might send two. He does have the money to afford it.'_

"There!" Kiba shouted as he threw a kunai into the bushes, causing nearly giving the old drunk a heart attack. After hearing a thud, the group decided to check it out, only to find the kunai lodged into a tree with a frightened white rabbit just below it.

"Nice work Kiba, you saved us from a rabbit." Hinata sarcastically remarked.

"That's odd. Could have sworn I sensed a person." Kiba said.

"All this fuss over a rodent?" Tazuna questioned.

Naruto walked up the small rabbit and picked him up. "It's okay Mr. Bunny, we won't hurt you." His voice was soothing as he hugged the rabbit gently, exactly the opposite of how the Feudal Lord's wife hugged her cat Tora. As the rabbit relaxed in his grip, Hinata looked with growing affection for her crush, and a little jealousy at the rabbit in his embrace. Tazuna, meanwhile, made a gagging noise.

"You should see him at my place. The pups love him." Kiba remarked, Akamaru barking in agreement before sniffing the air.

Kurenai watched as Naruto fed the white rabbit a carrot, but her thoughts were not on the cute scene in front of her. _'That's a snow rabbit, but why is its fur white? That's only in the winter when there's little sunlight. He must have been rasied in captivity to be used as a substitition, which means our enemies are already here.'_ "EVERYONE DUCK NOW!"

All of them did as told as a large blade passed above them. The blade imbeded itself in to a tree and a shirt-less man with bandages covering his lower face appeared on the hilt. He had the same emblem on his forehead protector as the Demon Brother, only his didn't have any horns on it. "Well, well, well. So these are the ninja who beat the Demon Brothers. Of course, since you have the Genjutsu mistress Kurenai Yūhi, I'm not all that surprised."

"W-who... who are you?" Naruto asked in a shaky voice.

The man smiled menacingly, amused by the fear in Naruto's voice. He seemed to disappear. Before the genin could react, he appeared behind the blond, leaned into his ear and said, "I am Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist."  
-

Hiashi was quite surprised to hear that Sasuke Uchiha had requested an audience with him. He considered turning the boy down, since the Uchiha and Hyūga had a rivalry before the massacre. However, he decided that now that the Uchiha was down to two members, one of which was a rouge ninja, there was no point in continuing the feud. And Hiashi was curious as to what the last Uchiha wanted with the head of the Hyūga. A Branch family member knock on hid office door. "Enter."

"Lord Hiashi, Sasuke Uchiha is here." Hiashi dismissed the servent and motioned Sasuke to take a seat. Sasuke bowed before doing so, knowing better then to act disrespectfully to the head of the Hyūga Clan.

"I do not wish to take up to much of your time, Lord Hiashi, so allow me to get straight to the point," Sasuke said.

"Please do. I'm curious as to what it is you seek to gain," Hiashi responded in his emotionless voice.

"I wish to ask for you daughter's hand in marriage."  
-

Hinata: NOOOOOOOOOOO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I REFUSE TO MARRY ANYONE OTHER THAN NARUTO! ESPECIALLY SASUKE!

Alpha: You know, for someone who's usually quiet, you can be pretty loud. (Sakura enters)

Sakura: NOOOOOOOO! I REFUSE TO LET ANYONE OTHER THAN ME MARRY SASUKE!

Alpha: Calm down, you two. You don't even know if Hiashi actually agrees.

Hiashi: Yes, please Hinata. I'm sure I'll reject Sasuke's proposal. Right? I don't want to be a bad guy anymore than I already am.

Alpha: Hiashi, I've read stories where you are a lot worse. A LOT worse. Ones where you would kill Naruto or even your own daughter without a second thought. I remember one where you practically gave Naruto over to some...

Hiashi: You haven't answered my question.

Alpha: I'll answer in the form of chapter 7. So wait until then.

Hinata: You better fix this!

Alpha: Y-yes ma'am. _'For once, Hinata scares me, even more than Sakura.'_ (Naruto enters)

Naruto: Hey, why'd you stop the kiss? I mean, if we both wanted it, why didn't we follow through.

Alpha: The two of you only noticed the act, not the fact that both of you wanted to.

Naruto: Well why haven't we noticed each others' feelings

Alpha: I'm pretty sure I've heard of a law or something about how the object of one's affection is oblivious to said desires, even when the feeling is mutual. Basically, unless the person does something like confessing his/her feelings or kissing, not almost kissing, the other person is ignorant of the affection.

Naruto: That's stupid.

Alpha: You didn't notice Hinata's feelings until long into your series.

Sakura: Even though it was obvious the rest of us.

Naruto: Err, touche.

Alpha: In fact, I'm pissed that you two haven't gotten together yet. (Remember, I'm watching the anime dubbed, so I'm only on episode 322.) But I rant about that in my head later.

Sakura: Certainly would have saved me a lot of time.

Naruto: And me headaches.

Sakura: What was that?

Naruto: Nothing!

Hinata: I guess I should have confessed sooner.

Alpha: I don't blame you, Hinata. Even I get nervious when I think about asking out the women I crush on, even though I'm smart, good-looking, strong, nice...

Naruto: And has a bit of an ego-manic.

Alpha: No I'm not! Anyway, I'm surprised you didn't comment on the proposal.

Naruto: What proposal?

Alpha: You didn't read the end of the chapter? Or hear Sakura and Hinata yelling?

Naruto: Hinata yelled? And no, but I was about to.

Alpha: Weeellll I better get going. (Leaves quickly as Naruto reads the end)

Naruto: WHAT?! GET BACK HERE YOU AND FIX THIS! (Runs after Alpha)


	8. Chapter 7 Not Gonna Run Away

A/N: Our story continues! I know I've made Naruto wimpy. My excuse against the Demon Brothers, well if a self-confident Naruto froze in that fight, why wouldn't a shy Naruto? Every other time, well I guess I got carried away. My bad. (Thanks Louis Romero for bringing that to my attention) Don't worry, he'll be kicking butt very soon. Don't forget to review and tell your friends.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 7 Not Gonna Run Away

"I wish to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Hiashi face remained stoic as ever. But on the inside, he was quite surprised. In fact, this was the last thing he expected. "I was unaware of such a close relationship you and my daughter." His voice remained emotionless, hiding his shock as well as any desire to either accept or decline.

 _'Ok, here comes the hard part.'_ Sasuke thought. "Unfortunatly, I haven't had the pleasure as of yet. However, I believe such a union would be favorable to both our clans."

"Really? Please explain."

"The feud between our clans has gone on for generations. However, fate has given us a chance to fix that. Despite how atrocious the actions of Itachi in murdering the entire Uchiha Clan..." Sasuke stopped in order to mantain his composure as he thought back to that night. Hiashi saw the anger in the boy and could not fault him for it. After all, the Hyūga Head still felt the pain of losing his wife and twin brother. Sasuke lost his entire family, and at the hands of his own brother. Sasuke took a another moment to suppress his hate as he continued. "As I was saying, Itachi's crimes have given me the chance to fix the Uchiha Clan's mistakes. Specifically with the Hyūga."

"Oh? And what mistake would that be?"

Swallowing his pride, Sasuke replied, "We Uchiha considered ourselves superior to your clan because of our Sharingan. Unlike my ancestors, however, I am not blind to the power of the Byakugan. In fact, I'd say it rivals that of the Sharingan. If our two clans had cooperated, I dare say we'd be more feared than the Ino-Shika-Cho."

Once again, the Last Uchiha managed to shock Hiashi. Never in his wildest dream did he ever think he'd hear an Uchiha acknoledge another kekkei genkei, especially the Byakugan. And he could not argue that the combined strenght of both the Uchiha and the Hyūga would be unmatched and held some appeal to him. _'I don't see any deception in him. Could he be serious?'_

Of course Sasuke wasn't. It made him sick to his stomache, saying the Hyūga and their Byakugan were on par with the Uchiha and their Sharingan. Sure, he thought the Byakugan had its uses, otherwise he wouldn't bother with trying to get Hinata. However, _'There's no way their eyes could ever match the power of the Uchiha!'_ But he needed to convince the Hyūga that he thought otherwise, and once the Uchiha were reborn and stronger then ever, he'd cut ties with the Hyūga. Luckely, Sasuke was an expert at keeping a straight face, except when the subject of his brother came up. He gave no sign of his deception.

"And I'm sure people would love to hear how the Hyūga helped restore a near extinct clan like the Uchiha." Sasuke added, hoping to play on the Hyūga Clan's vanity.

"I'm guessing there's more to this than building close bonds between our two clans." Hiashi said. While he believed Sasuke's words, he thought there was more to this.

Sasuke was hesistent to answer, wanting to keep his theory a secret. However, Hiashi's uneasy gaze made him spill the beans. "I admit, I have a theory. It's possible that the child of a Hyūga and an Uchiha may result in a new kekkei genkai, one that combines the power of the Byakugan and the Sharingan."

"And if not?" Hiashi was also curious whether such a thing was possible. However, there was always a chance that the offspring of such a union would only carry one clan's eyes.

"If they possess the Byakugan, the Hyūga Clan would be given all rights on the child. Of couse, if a child inherited the Sharingan. All rights go to the Uchiha."

"And if your theory proves right?"

"Then the Hyūga and Uchiha Clans would both possess possibly the most powerful bloodline. Just to be clear, I don't intend to use your daughter merely to prove my theory. I truely possess feelings for your daughter."

Hiashi thought about this for a good while. The Uchiha boy showed no signs of deception in his eyes, and he did make some valid point. Helping the Uchiha would increase the Hyūga Clan's popularity around the village and perhaps attract some powerful allies. Plus Sasuke was held in high opinion in the village. And it would keep Hinata away from Naruto. As clan head, he'd be foolish to turn the boy down.

However...

"Sasuke Uchiha, while you do make many good points, I must decline your proposal. While I have no reason to doubt you, I'm afraid that my daughter does not share your feelings. Should this change and she agrees to such a union, I believe I would approve." _'As good as this sounds, I am a father. I cannot decide who my daughter marries. Though I have no intention of letting her stay with Uzumaki. So while I won't marry her off, I may have to take drastic measures.'_

"I understand. Thank you for your time." The Last Uchiha bowed and left. Inside, Sasuke was furious. _'Damn it! I thought that would work! I'll figure some else out latter. I've wasted enough time. I need to focus on getting stronger so I can kill Itachi.'  
-_

Zabuza moved away from the young Uzumaki when Kurenai threw a kunai at him. As the rogue ninja moved to retrieve his sword, Kurenai yelled to her team. "Team 8, Manji formation! Protect the bridge builder! I'll deal with Zabuza."

As the team moved into formation, Kiba tried to argue. "Sensei, let us help."

"NO! This guy is nothing like those other two." Kurenai answered as Zabuza pulled his sword out of the tree. "He was a member of the Mist ANBU, and one the the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

"You forgot a master of the silent killing," Zabuza added. "Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" The mist rolled in and thickened until he was completely out of sight.

"W-where'd he go?" Naruto said nervously.

Naruto's question was answered when Zabuza appeared behind Tazuna, his large sword ready to end his life when a kunai was thrown by Kurenai and hit the swordsman right between the eyes. However, instead of blood, water flowed out of the wound. When the rest of the body turned liquid, Kurenai realised it was a water clone and turned around just in time to see Zabuza swing his sword horizontally.

Kurenai bent back to avoid being sliced in half by the large blade and kick up at the mist ninja's chin. As the swordsman reeled back from the impact, Kurenai started the handsigns for a genjutsu, but Zabuza recovered was on her before she could complete them, swinging his sword.

 _'He won't give me time to perform a genjutsu, so I'll have to use a quick ninjutsu.'_ Flipping back to get some space, she once again started another series of handsigns, shorter than the last. Finishing before Zabuza could stop her, she unleashed the jutsu. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Kurenai launched a barrage of small fireballs at her opponent. Zabuza managed to dodge most of them. The last on he blocked with his sword before retreating into the mist.

The Leaf Jonin let out a wave of chakra from her body in order to move the mist and found Zabuza on her right swinging his sword diagonally from his left. Kurenai dodged by leaping back, but Zabuza realised his blade and sent a punch at Kurenai's gut. She twisted around the punch and sent a right hook at his head. Zabuza caught it and kick Kurenai into a lake.

As she broke through the surface, she notice the water was unusally heavy. Zabuza moved quickly on top of the water and behind Kurenai. "I have you now. Water Prison Jutsu!"

A second later Kurenai was trapped in a sphere of water. She tried to move but couldn't. "This prison may be made of water, but it's harder than steel," Zabuza explained. "You won't be able to move at all."

Kurenai's eyes widened as she realised she was at the mercy of her enemy. _'Damn it! I underestimated him! And after what I said about him.'_

"Now, to deal with the bridge builder. Water Clone Jutsu!" Water rose up and took the form of Zabuza.

When the real Zabuza saw the surprised looks on the young genin, he said, "Hmph, you think your real ninja just because of your headbands, because you passed some class? True ninja are the ones who've stood at Death's door so many times it's like a second home. The ones who've killed so many times, it doesn't even faze them. To call a bunch of upstarts like you ninja is a joke."

"Take Tazuna and run!" Kurenai shouted. "He needs to remain in contact with the sphere to keep me trapped, and water clones can only be a short distance away from the original. You can get away from him."

The three genin looked at their sensei, then at their opponent. Kiba and Hinata nodded at each other and Kiba said, "No."

"What? I'm giving you a direct order! He's too strong for the three of you!"

"You're right sensei, we're no match for him alone." Hinata said. "Which is why we have to fight him now. Even if we got away, if he managed to beat you, he'd find us and kill us. So me and Kiba are going to save you." She turn to her blond friend. "Naruto, you take Tazuna away from here so Zabuza doesn't target him during the fight."

Naruto nodded slowly then took Tazuna away into the forest. The water clone made no effort to stop them. "Well, I guess you two are my opponents now," the clone said. He pointed at Hinata. "By your eyes, I'm guessing your a Hyūga. Too bad your life ends here, I would have loved to fight you when you're older, when your a challenge." He turned his attention to Kiba. "And the marks on your face and the mutt by you side tell me your from the Inuzuka Clan. I don't know who that blond kid was, but I'll be sure to get 'aquainted' with him soon enough."

"Byakugan!"

Hinata activated her bloodline, the veins around her eyes bulging. She dropped into her clan's Gentle Fist stance.

"You ready Akamaru?" When Akamaru barked in agreement, Kiba pulled out two foodpills and tossed one to his partner. Once Akamaru swallowed the pill, his fur turned red. Kiba ate the other and performed one of his clan's techniques.

"Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu!"

Kiba's body underwent a minor alteration. His nails turned to claws, his teeth resembled that of a canine, and his eyes grew wild, his pupils slited. As he positioned himself on all fours, Akamaru jumped on his back and Kiba performed another jutsu.

"Man-Beast Clone!"

In a puff of smoke, in Akamaru's place was another Kiba, in the same canine-like state.

Kurenai continued to shout, hoping to get through to her two most stubborn students as well as the nin-dog, but to no avail. And as the three combatants charged at Zabuza, she could only pray that they survive this encounter.  
 _-_

Naruto took Tazuna only a short distance away before looking back. His friends were risking their lives while he was running. True, he had been told to get the bridge builder out of there, but Naruto still felt like he was running away. A part of him wanted to run back, to protect his precious people and fight with them.

But Naruto was afraid, terrified of the missing nin. Zabuza was joinin level and a former ANBU, with years of experience and training. Naruto was a genin who barely passed the graduation test, had only about two to three years of real training (since no one helped him prior to meeting Hinata), and never won in his spars with Kiba, Hinata, and Choji. This was his first real mission and in his first fight as a ninja, he froze in fear. Would this time be any different? Would he just be a burden and get his friends killed? Or himself?

 _'I don't wanna die, not anymore. But... I have to go back. I can't keep running away, relieing on others protect me.'_ Naruto reached up and touched his forehead protector, given to him by Iruka. He traced the leaf symbol. _'I'm a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. I can't be afraid anymore!'_

Naruto stopped and Tazuna gave the boy a confused look. Before he could inquire why he stopped Naruto spoke, doing his best not to stutter. "Tazuna, please hide h-here." He pointed to the thick bushes on his left. "I'm sorry to leave you, b-but..." before he could finish the old bridge builder raised his hand.

"I understand. You friends are in trouble and its my fault. If I hadn't hid important facts when I asked for help, none of them would be in danger. While I do wish you'd take me home now, I won't be a burden any longer. Just make sure you save your sensei and come back alive. I still need protection and I'm not ready to die yet." Naruto was surprised but thanked him and left to return to his team, leaving behind two shadow clones just in case. He arrived at the edge of the clearing and spotted his friends.

It did not look good.

Both Kiba and Hinata were panting. Kiba had a cut on his left cheek just over his face mark. Hinata seemed to have fared better, having no cuts. However, she was holding her stomache, telling Naruto she suffered a strong hit in the gut. Akamaru was on the ground, once again in his puppy form. He was covered in water and unconcious, but otherwise alright.

"If that's all you got, then you've wasted my time." The real Zabuza said, stilled positioned behind Kurenai to keep her in his jutsu.

Once again, Naruto froze as images of the villagers entered his mind once agains. He was almost gave in to his fear. _'No. No. Not again! I won't be weak!'_ Shaking his head in order to clear it of the memories, his hand slipped into his pouch.  
 _-_

Zabuza watched as his clone got ready to deal with the two genin once again. Their dog was taken out when he attacked from above and was washed away into a tree when the clone jump back to avoid Kiba and Hinata's attack and launched a water jutsu from his mouth. And though eventually they managed to hit and dispel his clone, he simplily made another before either two could recover.

Zabuza was so focused on the two, he didn't notice the shuriken until it cut his right cheek. He was surprised to find his blood when he felt that area, and from the look on Kurenai's face, so was she.

 _'What? How? Those two brats were too busy with my clone to attack me directly. And I've been watching them the whole time.'_ He looked at his prisoner. _'And she's still trapped. So who?'_ Zabuza looked around until he spotted an orange spot at the edge of the clearing.

Naruto sighed. His aim was off so he only scratched his cheek. _'Have to remember to practice more.'_

"No point in hiding anymore. I know where you are. What kind of ninja wears such bright clothing?" Zabuza shouted.

Naruto gasped. He felt the urge to run away, but instead revealed himself. And approached his teammates.

 **"Finally grew a spine."** Naruto ignored this. Right now the voice in his head was not what he needed to worry about.

"Naruto?! What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Tazuna?" Kurenai screamed. It was bad enough Kiba and Hinata refused to flee, but now Naruto was sticking his neck out.

"H-he's safe. A-and he's n-not alone." Naruto answered, suprising Zabuza. He figured he'd make it seem like they had more allies. Besides, since Zabuza didn't know what he could do, he could still surprise.

"Not that I'm unhappy to have your help, but you shouldn't have come back." Hinata was worried. They weren't doing too well, with Akamaru unconcious and both Kiba and herself getting their butts kicked. They needed a plan, or it was only a matter of time until one of them was seriously injured or worse.

And Hinata couldn't live with herself if something happened to the boy she grew to care for.

However, luck was on their side at the moment. "I-I have a plan." Leaning close he whispered the details.

Zabuza waited patiently. He figured since they were mere genin they wouldn't pose any threat to him. And while he was curious as to who else was guarding the old man, he doubted whoever he, she, or they were will be too much trouble.

"Ready?" Naruto's teammates nodded. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Lots of smoke puffed and lingered for about 5 seconds, and roughly a hundred Narutos stood in front of the clone.

"So, you know how to make shadow clones. And quite a great many at that. I'll admit, that's impressive for a genin," the clone Zabuza remarked as the army charged. "But it's not enough."

Despite the advantage of number, the Naruto clones were no match for Zabuza's water clone. He managed to dodge and counter each blow, and sometime would take out a number of them with his sword. Their numbers decreased dramatically. Kiba used his tunneling fang, but the clone dodged and Kiba ended up hitting three Narutos before Zabuza elbowed the back of his head.

However, though most of the clones attacked the fake, about 20 of them charged at the real Zabuza. _'Using numbers to get by my clone. Not bad kid.'_ However, since Naruto had yet to learn the water walking technique, they had to jump at Zabuza. Using a kunai, the Zabuza managed to deflect incoming projectiles and hold off the clone while keeping his left hand in the water sphere.

One Naruto was launch high in the air and came down on Zabuza's kunai with his own, while a second Naruto launched a third Naruto at him. Because he was busy blocking the first Naruto, Zabuza considered taking the blow. However when he saw the third Naruto pull his left arm back, his eyes widened. _'So that's their game. No choice! Have to dodge!'_

Zabuza pulled his arm out from his jutsu and dodged as Naruto thrusted his palm forward and managed to land a glancing blow to the side before landing in the water with the other Naruto. But instead of two Narutos surfacing, it was Naruto and Hinata!

 _'So, the Hy_ _ū_ _ga girl used the transformation when the smoke was up and hid among the clones, then waited for an opening to strike. Clever. My fault for letting my guard down.'_ Zabuza thought as he held his side.

The moment Kurenai was released, she had two kunai in hand. The one in her left she threw at the water clone as it slashed through the last of the shadow clones. The kunai struck true at the back of the head.

Still bothered by the damage to his side, Zabuza just barely manage to parry Kurenai attempt to stab him. He countered, but Kurenai twisted around him and swiped at the back of his neck. The mist shinobi jumped forward and turned toward her.

"It's still not enough! Without your genjutsu, your nothing! And there's no way I'm letting you put me in one! Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!"

A large, liquid votex was formed, and water was shot out and hit the Leaf jonin. Everything in its path was devastated, leaving trees either torn or uprooted. The jutsu created large ripples in the lake. Naruto and Hinata had to struggle keep there heads above water.

When the jutsu ended and the water receded back into the lake, there was no sign of Kurenai. The two genin managed to swim back to land and rejoin their comrade, but then they noticed Zabuza walking towards them.

"Well, that takes care of that," he said. "Now..."

Shortly after his feet hit the ground, Zabuza felt the ground below him shift and morph. _'What the... An earth style jutsu?'_ A tree sprouted from the ground behind him, its branches wrapped around him. He struggled, but to no avail when Kurenai came halfway out of the tree and stabbed his sholders. _'No. A genjutsu!'_ "But when..."

"When you jumped away I dropped my kunai performed the handsigns. The moment you looked back at me you were caught in my genjutsu." She pulled out another kunai. That's twice you've underestimated your opponent. Your fate is sealed demon!" She positioned her weapon to stab him in the neck...

When two senbon stabbed him in the neck. The genjutsu broken, Zabuza's body fell to the ground.

"Indeed, his fate was seal the moment he went rouge." The four leaf nin turned to look at the newcomer standing on a branch, surprise evident on there faces. "I must thank you Leaf shinobi. I've been tracking him down for a long time now, but if it weren't for you, I never would have gotten the opening I needed to finish the job."

Kurenai studied the newcomer. "Judging by your mask, I'd say your a tracking ninja."

"Yes, I'm an elite member of the tracking unit, and my job was to eliminate Zabuza Momochi. Again, you have my thanks." The newcomer jumped down and approached Zabuza's body, slinging it over his sholders. "I will dispose of the corpse. Farewell." And then he disappeared.

Kiba ran over to were Akamaru was. "Akamaru! Buddy, come on speak to me!" he shout as he held his best friend. The little puppy stired and barked.

"I-is he ok?" Naruto asked.

Kiba did a quick examination. He wasn't a vet like his sister, but from the looks of things, Akamaru didn't suffer any serious injuries. "Yeah, he's fine. Probably the shock knocked him out, but there are no signs of any serious or permanent damage."

"Good." Hinata turned to the blond. "Nice plan, by the way. And I can't believe you made so many clones! That must take a lot of chakra."

Naruto blushed at her acknoledgement. "T-thanks, but it w-was nothing. Y-you were the one t-that managed to land a b-blow on him. A-and I c-could tell it did some d-damage."

"Yeah, I'm great, aren't I?" Hinata smiled and rubbed the back of her head with her right hand. "But don't sell yourself short. I had an opening because of you. So start giving yourself some credit. I swear sometimes your just too modest."

"T-thanks. That's n-nice to hear, ya know."

"Hey what about me?" Kiba whined. "I took out the clone, remember?"

"You mean the three Naruto clones?"

"What, no! And that wasn't my fault! I was taking about the first water clone we fought. I clawed at his back? Ringing any bells?"

"Hmmmm?" Hinata pretended to think about it. "Nope, no bells ringing here."

"Aw come on!" Hinata just laughed and Naruto couldn't help but snicker.

Kurenai was catching her breathe. The fight took more out of her then she realised. She approached her team and spoke. "Alright you three, enough chattering. Naruto, where did you leave Tazuna?"

Naruto pointed to where he had left previously. "I-in some bushes o-over that way. He's n-not alone. I l-left two clones with him."

"Good." Kurenai took a look at Hinata and Naruto and noticed how wet they were. "Take off your jackets. They're soaking wet and you'll catch a cold wearing them."

Naruto immediatly took his jacket off, revealing a light orange T-shirt with the kanji for fire in red. Hinata, however, was hesitent to remove her large cream-colored jacket. "Eh, don't worry about me sensei. I'll be fine."

"Hinata, we don't know what else Gato may throw at us. We can't afford to take risk."

Hinata sighed and did as she was told. She was wearing a plain black shirt that didn't show off that much. But it did show she matured better than others her age.

Naruto blushed a bit and looked away to avoid staring. Kiba couldn't help but let out a wolf-whistle. The two females rolled their eyes. _'Every single time,'_ Hinata thought. _'This is why I wear that large jacket.'_

Kiba leaned toward Naruto and whispered, "If you don't ask her out soon, I will."

Naruto was about to reaction when a noise came from the branch behind them. They turned around to see the one-eye'd jonin from the Leaf. Kakashi looked at the state of Team 8, then at the damage to the landscape.

"Did I miss something?"  
 _-_

Naruto: Late as usual, Kakashi-sensei.

Kakashi: Well, from what I read, you guys handled yourselves quite well.

Hinata: YES! FATHER SAID NO!

Hiashi: Thank God.

Alpha: Yep. Your still free to date Naruto. Course I doubt an arranged marrige would stop you.

Sasuke: Wait, if you were going make him say no, why add it.

Alpha: I may hate the idea of SasuHina (No offence to those that are a fan, but I personally can't stand the idea) but I do like the idea of you hitting on Hinata, just that you never get her. I mean Hinata was the only girl in your class who wasn't crazy about you, she has a cool kekkei genkai, is a nice girl, and is pretty cute.

Hinata: Oh, um, thank you.

Naruto: Hey, don't hit on her.

Alpha: I'm not hitting on her. Just complementing.

Naruto: Whatever, I'm keeping my eye on you.

Kakashi: So what about me?

Alpha: What about you?

Kakashi: Do I get a girl?

Alpha: Maybe, maybe not.

Kakashi: That didn't tell me anything.

Naruto: Guess the shoe is on the other foot.

Kakashi: Huh?

Alpha: Anyway, have to get writing.


	9. Chapter 8 The Story of a Hero

A/N: Here's the next chapter. By the way, really important question. After what episode in the anime would it be ok to watch "Naruto The Last" without spoilers?

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

Chapter 8 The Story of a Hero

After picking up Tazuna from his hiding place, Team 8 along with Kakashi Hatake journeyed to the old bridge builder's home. It wasn't long before Naruto felt something brush his leg. He nearly jumped but when he looked down, he saw it was the snow rabbit from earlier.

"Oh, it's you again, Mr. Bunny."

Kakashi looked at Kurenai and raised his eyebrow. "Mr. Bunny?"

Kurenai giggled and replied. "An animal Zabuza used as a substitution. You should have seen the way Naruto acted with him. If it wasn't for the fact that it was obviously not a wild rabbit because of his fur color, I would have taken a picture. Speaking of which, I have one I've just got to show you."

"It looks like he's taken a real liking for you. Ya gonna keep him?" Kiba asked.

"Ummm..." Naruto didn't know what to do. On one hand, it'd be nice to have some company at home. It got kinda lonely in his apartment. However, he was worried the villagers might try to make stew out of his furry friend. "I d-don't think…"

"Come on. Look how cute he is." Hinata picked him up and held him in front of Naruto. "Besides, I don't think he'll leave you alone if he's followed you this far."

"Well, I g-guess maybe I c-could keep him."

"That's the spirit! I'll even come over and help." Naruto warmed up even more to the idea of keeping the rabbit, especially since it meant spending even more time with the girl of his dreams. "Though we'll need a better name than Mr. Bunny."

"And we should make sure he is a 'Mr.'," Kiba added.

Naruto and Hinata realised they never did check the rabbit's gender, and neither were eager to. "Well, uh, h-how about Yuki? It's u-used for both genders," Naruto offered.

"I like it. Yuki. That's what we'll call you little guy. Um, or girl." She then handed little Yuki (which means "snow" and "happiness" by the way) over to Naruto. "You check."

"W-what? W-why me?"

"Your rabbit, your job."

"But, but I don't wanna check. A-and you s-said you'd help, s-so you check."

The two argued for a few minutes before Kiba rolled his eyes. "Bunch of babies. I'll check." The two looked at him. "What? I help my mom and sis whenever we have a new litter." The two shrugged and handed Yuki over to the Inuzuka. After his brief inspection, Kiba handed it over to Naruto. "Congratulations, it's a boy."

"Are you three done? We still have a ways to go before arrive at my village. I have a bridge to build, remember? A madman to foil?" Tazuna was annoyed by all the distractions. The longer it took, the more his people suffered.

"He's right, you know." Kakashi told Kurenai. "Especially if your suspicions prove to be true."

"What suspicions sensei?" Hinata asked.

"Remember that tracker nin from earlier?" Her team nodded. "Well, I suspected he was working with Zabuza."

Everyone's eyes widened except Kakashi. "B-but sensei, that guy k-killed him! We all saw it ourselves. You even c-checked yourself. A-and I'm sure you w-would have seen through it if it was a g-genjutsu," Naruto argued.

"You're right, it wasn't a genjutsu or I would have noticed. However, tracker nin deal with the body on the spot. Instead, he took him away."

"But he struck him in the neck. And like Naruto said, you checked Zabuza's body yourself, he was dead." Hinata said, a little afraid. She did not like the idea of facing Zabuza again.

"Yes, I thought about that. Remember the weapons he used."

"You mean those needle?" Kiba asked.

"Yes." Now it was Kakashi who spoke. "Senbon are able to pierce deeply, but unless you hit a vital point, it wouldn't kill you. In the hands of one with both accuracy and knowledge of the human body, simulating the death of someone would be simple. So, Kurenai, are you absolutely sure Zabuza is still alive?"

"Considering the boy carried the body away despite it being almost too heavy for him, as well as the use of precision weapons with low-fatality rates, well if I'm wrong, I'll buy Anko dangos for a year." Her students looked confused, so she explained. "My friend Anko and dangos are like Naruto and ramen." Their eyes widened when they realised just serious she had to be to bet that.

Tazuna still didn't get it, but decided to take the looks on the others' faces that she had no doubts. "S-so what now?" he stuttered and turned to Kurenai. "I mean, you almost lost against him."

"Don't worry." Kakashi said with smile that was barely visible under his mask. "With two jonin on the job, I doubt you have much to worry about."

"Besides, my student have proven themselves to be quite good, even if they fail to follow orders." Kiba and Hinata ignored that last part, but it seemed to bother Naruto.

"Well, I guess you're right. My house is not far from here. Let's go." The trio continued to walk forward but Naruto seemed down and hung back. Kakashi noticed this and slowed down.

Speaking quietly, Kakashi asked, "You alright?"

Naruto kept his head down, but replied, "I, I think Kurenai-sensei is u-upset with us for disobeying h-her."

"Understandable. She is the ranking officer of your team. And you three did disobey a direct order."

"But, but we couldn't l-leave her. She's our sensei and f-friend."

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, let me tell something very important. In this Shinobi World, those that break the rules are scum."

Naruto hung his head lower.

"However," he turned to hear this. "those that abandon their friends and comrades are worse than scum." And with that, Kakashi rejoined Kurenai up front, leaving Naruto to dwell on those words.

"So what was that about?" Kurenai questioned.

"He was feeling a little guilty from that comment about them disobeying orders. You might want to talk with him more about that."

"That was mostly aimed at my other students. So what did you say to him?"

"Oh, I just spread the wisdom of an old friend."

Kurenai smiled, as she knew exactly what he meant.

"By the way, you can't be serious."

"About what?" Kurenai asked, confused.

"There's just no way Naruto's ramen addiction can compare to Anko dango problem."

Kurenai laughed at that. "Oh really. Then why don't you invite your team to our team lunch at Ichiraku's and you pay for his meal."

"I'll pass, but still, I know he likes ramen a lot, but it can't be that bad."

"Ask Iruka, he's bought Naruto ramen before, and I still remember the first team lunch where I let Naruto eat his usual amount. But that's a story for another time." (And another chapter)  
-

"Sasuke!" Ino shouted as she ran toward the boy of her dreams.

' _Ah, shit.'_ Sasuke thought.

Ino was about to hug Sasuke when Sakura ran interference and the two once again fought over who would be the Uchiha's girlfriend. Sasuke sighed and continued to practice the tree climbing. To his disdain, Sakura managed to master it first in a matter of minutes, even though she was the weakest of the three. And even though Shino had yet to complete the exercises, he was closer to succeeding than the Uchiha.

As he fell on his bum for the umpteenth time, he remembered something about the blond kunoichi that would help him with his plans for Hinata. She was a gossiper as well as a friend of Naruto. Taking an opportunity while Sakura freaked out when one of Shino's bugs landed on her, he snuck away from his team and approached Ino. "Hey, Ino. I want to talk to you, privately."

Ino froze and her cheeks turned pink. ' _Sasuke wants to talk to ME! PRIVATELY! What could he want? Maybe he wants to ask me out, or kiss me! Take that, Sakura! Ok, ok. Be cool, Ino! Don't blow it!_

Shikamaru and Choji were suspicious and about to protest, but one death glare from Ino shut them up. "Of course, Sasuke. Lead on."

As Sasuke lead Ino away, Choji turned to his lazy friend. "What do you think he wants?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is will definitely be troublesome." Choji nodded in agreement.

Once the two were away from any eavesdroppers, Sasuke turned toward Ino and spoke. "Ino, I need your help with something."

"What do you need help with Sasuke?"

"Your friends with Naruto, right?"

"Um, yes. Why?" Ino couldn't tell where this was going, but it was obvious it wasn't going to end like she hoped, to her disappointment.

"Well, I admit I've kinda been a bit of a jerk to him, but that's in the past. I noticed other people don't look at him favorably, but for some reason, no one will say why."

"Yeah, I don't get it. They way they act, you'd think he killed somebody." Ino agreed sadly. She herself had seen the glares and saw him get kick out of her favorite clothing store just after entering.

"Yeah, it made me realise my mistake in treating him badly. I was hoping you would help me change their minds about him. I just need to know why they act that way. Can you find out?"

' _I knew it! Sasuke does have a soft spot! And he's sharing it with me of all people!'_ Ino though. "Of course I can!"

"Good, and remember," he leaned in closer, causing Ino to blush. "This is our little secret. And so is this." He kissed Ino on the cheek and returned to his team.

Ino stood there for a few seconds, her brain processing what just happened. ' _He kissed me. HE KISSED ME! SASUKE JUST KISSED ME! Sure it was on the cheek, but still!'_ She reveled in her victory over the other Sasuke fangirls.

Meanwhile as Sasuke approached his team. ' _Deception and manipulation, two of the most important tools of a ninja. And while Ino does the work, I can focus on getting stronger.'_

"Sasuke, where did you go?" Sakura asked.

"Nowhere important." Shino raises his brow in suspicion, but Sasuke ignores him and goes back to tree climbing.  
-

"Dad, you're home!" Tazuna's daughter shouts and gives him a hug. She has long, blue hair, a pink short-sleeved shirt with a red collar, and a long, blue skirt. "Oh, who are they?" She points toward Team 8 and Kakashi.

"Tsunami, these are the ninja from the Hidden Leaf I've hired to protect me."

"Yes, I'm Kurenai Yūhi and these are my student."

"Name's Kiba Inuzuka. This little guy's my partner Akamaru." Akamaru barked.

"And I'm Hinata Hyūga."

"N-Naruto Uzumaki, ma'am. T-this is Yuki." He said, barely audible.

"Oh and what about him? The one with one eye." Tsunami asked.

"Kakashi Hatake." He answered.

"Well, come in all of you. I'm sure we can find room for you somewhere."

Everyone enters the house and sat down in the living room. Kiba, Hinata, and Naruto sat on the couch with Yuki on Naruto's lap and Akamaru still on Kiba's head while Kurenai and Kakashi stood behind them and Tazuna and Tsunami sat in chairs in front of them. "Thank you for bringing my father back safely and helping us take back our home, though I must say, you three seem a little young to be ninja." Tsunami point to the three genin.

"Well uh…" Kurenai looked for a way to explain, knowing that telling her they were genin one month out of the academy with no prior experience would not instil confidence. Luckily, Tazuna bailed her out.

"These kids proved themselves on the way here. And those two are high ranking ninja. Trust me, they'll keep me safe."

"Yeah, we'll keep the old drunk safe and beat anyone who tries anything!" Hinata shout.

"Yeah, right. You're just going to die." Everyone turns to see a boy with spiky, black hair in green jumpsuit, yellow shirt, and a white hat with two blue lines. "No one can stand up to Gato, so just go back to your own village."

"Inari! That was very rude! These ninja kept your grandpa safe! Apologize!" Tsunami scolded. Meanwhile, Kurenai kept Hinata restrained with her hand covering the Hyūga girl's mouth, knowing she'd do and say something reckless in retaliation. Kiba and Akamaru growled but otherwise kept quiet and Naruto just sat there.

"Hmph!" Inari just headed upstairs.

"And where are you going?" the boy's mother asked.

"To look out over the ocean. I wanna be alone!" Shortly afterwards they heard a door slam.

"Sorry about that." Tazuna said. "He's been like that since Gato took over."

Kurenai released Hinata, who crossed her arms and mumbled, "Should be happy someone wants to help. Ungrateful twerp."  
-

"Alright, let's start training." Kurenai said to her team. Kakashi leaned against a nearby tree while reading his book. Yuki was eating some nearby fireweed (looked up rabbit's diet). "We'll be doing the water walking exercise now."

"Y-you mean like d-during your fight?" Naruto asked as he remembered how Kurenai and Zabuza easily fought atop the water.

"Yes, and I warn you, it won't be as easy as the tree climbing exercise." Hinata didn't look worried while Kiba and Naruto subconsciously rubbed their bums at the memory of how 'easy' that training was. "Unlike tree climbing, which requires a fixed amount of chakra at the soles of your feet, water walking requires you to change the chakra discharge in order to stay atop the water's shifting surface. If you don't, you'll fall in. Luckily, Tsunami was nice enough to lend us some towel."

Since none of the genin brought their swimsuits, Kiba and Naruto had to stick with removing their jackets, shirts, and sandals. Hinata removed her jacket and sandals as well, but obviously kept her shirt.

"Now let me show you how it's done." Kurenai turned and walked onto the water. Hinata activated her byakugan to look at her sensei's chakra to get a better idea of what to do. "As you can see, or rather as Hinata can see, I'm constantly changing the flow of chakra to my feet in order to maintain my balance."

"How's this supposed to help us fight Zabuza? Should we be learning some kick ass jutsu." Hinata asked.

Kurenai sighed. "Listen, like I said when we did tree climbing, these kind of exercises will improve your chakra control, which in turn will help improve any and all jutsu you know or will learn. For example, hasn't the tree climbing exercise improved the use of your eyes, Hinata? After all, since then you've managed to keep your bloodline on longer by adjusting the amount of chakra flowing in your eyes."

Hinata nodded in defeat. She couldn't deny that training produced more results than simply walking up a tree, something she figured wouldn't come in handy.

"Now then, let's begin." The three genin approached the water. Kiba and Naruto fell in the moment they stepped on the water. Hinata, on the other hand, managed to stay on top of the water a few minutes before losing her balance and falling in.

Kurenai barely managed to contain her laughter at her students' failed attempts to walk on water. Hinata managed to completely maintain her balance on her third try, though Kurenai told her to continue practicing. A few tries later, Akamaru got the hang of it as well.

"Looks like Akamaru has better chakra control then the two of you." Hinata commented.

Whenever she managed to suppress her laughter, Kurenai gave her two male students advice and help them. By the end of the day, Naruto and Kiba could stand on top of the water without falling in, though it acquired their full concentration. Meanwhile, Hinata and Akamaru could jump around. "Alright, that's enough for today. Hinata, Akamaru, good work today. Hinata, you and I will do some light sparring tomorrow atop the water. Kiba, Naruto, you'll keep practicing with Kakashi."

"Huh?" Kakashi's gaze left his book upon hearing his name.

"That's right, Kakashi. Don't think I'm gonna let you just stand there reading that trash. So tomorrow, your lazy ass is helping train them. If you don't, you can kiss that book of yours good-bye. Do I make myself clear?"

Kakashi nodded frantically while hugging his book. Kurenai smiled and walked back to the house with Hinata behind her. Naruto picked up Yuki and stood by Kakashi with Kiba and Akamaru. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei, why doesn't Kurenai-sensei like your book?" Kiba asked, unaware of its contents.

"Simple, that woman has no appreciation for fine literature." he answered as he walked toward the house as well.

Dinner was uneventful. Once finished, Kurenai announced the sleeping arrangements. "Me and Hinata will sleep in the guest room. Kakashi, you can take the couch. Kiba, Naruto, you two will sleep in the attic." Kiba mumbled how unfair it was since those two got to sleep in a bed, but went up for some shut-eye. Naruto was about to follow when Kurenai added, "And no sneaking out for some private time you two," pointing at the blond and lavender-eyed girl while Kakashi looked with some curiosity.

Both blushed before Hinata got defensive. "It wasn't was like that. We didn't plan to both be awake. And it's not like anything happened." ' _No, something almost happened.'_ She thought as she thought about how they almost kissed.

"Whatever you say." Kurenai said, clearly enjoying herself.

Kakashi took pity on the poor duo, so he stepped in. "Speaking of private moments, I saw Asuma at your apartment a few nights ago. Care to explain?"

Now it was Kurenai turn to blush. Hinata smiled deviously as she saw her moment and took it. "You and Asuma-sensei, huh? Now that's interesting," she said, ready for payback, as she dragged Kurenai to their room for more teasing. Kurenai gave the white-haired jonin a look that said, 'I'll get you for this.'

Kakashi just shrugged as he laid on the couch and went to sleep.  
-

The secret of Naruto Uzumaki proved to be a difficult challenge. But Ino loved challenges, especially when it came to information gathering. She is a Yamanaka after all. It's in her blood. Her father was captain of the Intelligence Division. And her natural determination to learn what's what was further fueled by her desire not to let Sasuke down.

Ino first asked her father, who acted weird at first before refusing to answer. The same went for every adult she asked, including the ones who actually like Naruto, which sadly wasn't much. She then tried eavesdropping on random civilians, but that didn't bear any fruit either. They all just called him 'monster' or 'demon brat', names she already knew were thrown at the poor boy.

She finally learned the truth when she used a transformation to sneak into a bar. Secrets are often spilled when one is intoxicated enough. And one shinobi definitely was.

"I still ca'nt believe thmey lxet that monster live, especially after whbat he did." the man said.

"Shhh! We're not suppose to talk about that. Hokage's orders, remember?" his companion reminded.

"Ahhhh, phooey! Everyqone ni here alreaydy knows."

"I guess." he relented. "And I do agree. He's a danger to us all. We should finish what the Fourth started."

' _The Fourth?'_ Ino thought nearby, still in disguise. ' _What does the Fourth Hokage have to do with Naruto?'_

"Yevah! he mmay walk like he's human, fhe may guo by Naruto, but everxyone knouws eh's really da damn 9-Tails!"

Ino had to cover her mouth to hide her gasp. ' _Naruto, the 9-Tails? No, that can't be true! The Fourth Hokage killed that monster!'_ Ino ran home, unsure what to believe. She wanted to think he misheard him, or that he was wrong, but something in her wouldn't let it go. She needed this clear up, so when her father came home from work, she confronted him.

"Ino, my lovely daughter, what can I do for you?" Inoichi noticed the look of distraught on Ino face and grew worried. "What's the matter? Did something happen?"

Ino looked up at her father and managed to choke out the words. "I… I heard something about Naruto being connected to the 9-Tails. Is that truth?" The look on her father's face was all the answer she needed. "OH GOD IT'S TRUE!"

"Ino! Ino, listen to me!" Inoichi said as he tried to calm his daughter down. "Before you jump to any conclusions, let me explain just what happened that night almost 13 years ago. Ok?"

Ino calmed down, just a bit as she was still freaked out, but enough and nodded. "Ok, here's the real story of what happened that night. Despite his strength, Lord Fourth could not kill the demon fox. It was much too powerful. So instead, he had to seal it inside a newborn child. That child…

"Was Naruto." Ino finished.

"Believe me, the Fourth didn't like it, but it was the only way. His dying wish was that the village see him as a hero, because Naruto keeps the demon imprisoned inside him."

"But the villagers are fools stuck in grief over the ones they lost. And they use Naruto as an outlet. Lord Third tried his best. He made it illegal for us to tell the younger generation so that Naruto would have friends, and those that hurt him physically would be punished."

"But that didn't stop them," he continued. "Parents told their children to stay away from him and even encouraged any ill-will towards him. And I'm sure from hanging out with him that you've seen the villagers contempt for him." Ino nodded. "I once tried to adopt him, so did Shikaku, Chōza, Tsume, and even Shibi, but the council stopped us."

Ino was stuck in shock, not only from learning the truth of her fellow blond, but also hearing a bit about his past and the fact that he was almost her adopted brother. And as she listened to her father's tale, even though he assured her Naruto was no threat to her, to her shame, she still felt some fear toward the jinchūriki.

"Listen to me. You can't tell anyone! Not even your friends. It needs to be Naruto's decision. He'll tell you when he's ready."

"You mean he knows?"

"He found out after the graduation exam from Mizuki. Your former sensei turned traitor and tried to use Naruto as a scapegoat. If it weren't for Iruka, he would have succeeded. Now please, take what I said to heart and don't let what you've learned affect your friendship."  
-

Two days have passed since the fight with Zabuza. Hinata, Kiba, Naruto, and Akamaru have gotten the hang of water walking. They currently were sparing with Kakashi while guarded Tazuna at the bridge. Naruto swarmed him with clones, Kiba performed hit and run attacks with Akamaru, and Hinata was waiting for an opening provided by her teammates. She got it when she got it when he dove to the right to dodge Kiba and Akamaru's fang over fang attack. "8 Trigrams: 32 Palms!" She struck 32 of his chakra points before he puffed into smoke.

"What! That was just a clone?!" Hinata yelled.

"T-then where's the real one?" Naruto asked.

"Right here." Naruto turned his head to see the jonin crouched right behind him about to attack "Leaf Secret Finger Jutsu:"

Bullseye.

"A Thousand Years of Death!"

Naruto flew into the air before crash down into the water. Hinata was shock at the use of such a, weird (yeah, let's go with weird) move. Kiba on the other hand was laughing his ass off as he clutched his sides. "Wow, pretty effective! Ha ha!"

"You think so?" Kiba instantly stopped laughing as he looked behind to see Kakashi with the same hand sign as before.

"Oh, shi…"

"A Thousand Years of Death!"

Now it was Kiba's turn to go flying. Kakashi looked at Hinata, who instantly moved her hands to cover her rear. "Don't worry. I'd never use such a technique on a lady," he assured. Hinata looked at him for a few seconds, before reactivating her Byakugan and returning to her fighting stance. Kakashi moved, but with her eyes she saw where he was going and struck to her left, but Kakashi caught her arm before her palm could connect and performed a sweep kick that had her lying on the water with a kunai to her neck. "Not bad, but not good enough."

Meanwhile, Kiba and Naruto climbed ashore, still sore from Kakashi's recent move. "H-hey, Kiba?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't l-like sparring with K-Kakashi-sensei."

"Me neither. It's a pain in the ass, literally."

What neither of them noticed was that in the shadow, Inari watched. ' _They're wasting their time. They should just give up and run. Who do they think they are, heroes. There's no such thing.'_

Dinnertime came and everyone was getting seated. Kurenai told her team of the village's poverty. Stores barely had any merchandise, children were forced to beg and steal to survive, and people are too afraid to do anything.

Hinata looked finished eating when she noticed something on the wall. It was a torn picture of Inari, Tazuna, Tsunami, and one other person, but that was the part that was torn. "Hey, what's with the torn picture? And who's the guy that's torn out?" Tazuna's family immediately stopped what they were doing, their faces saddening, Inari more than the others. Clearly, this was a sore subject.

"That's… my husband." Tsunami answered softly.

"They once called him a hero around here."

Inari got out of his chair and made his way toward the door. "Inari, where are you going?" his mother asked, but he ignored her. "Inari, come back here!" But Inari was already out the door. Tsunami ran after her son, but not before scolding her father. "Father you know better than to call him that in front of Inari."

The old man sighed. "Err, sorry about that. I guess that's a sore subject." Hinata apologised, while rubbing the back of her head.

"Yes, it is." Tazuna replied. "But you guys deserve an explanation, so listen. His name was Kaiza, and though not by blood, he was a true father figure to Inari."

"To better understand the situation, you need to know their history. Inari took care of this little puppy he named Potchi. But one day a group of bullies come, their leader claiming the dog as his own. Inari protested, but they held him tight. Tired of his complaining, the leader threw Potchi into the water. They told him if he really wanted his dog back, he would have to save Potchi himself." Hearing this really pissed off Kiba and Akamaru. "However, Inari couldn't swim, and did nothing, hoping they'd have a change of heart. But instead, they pushed him in the water. Strangely enough, at that moment, Potchi learned to doggie paddle and swam to shore, with the bullies chasing after him."

"What?! They left Inari to drown?" Kurenai was furious upon hearing this.

"Yes." Tazuna said sadly. "But fortunately, a stranger came by and saved him. That man was Kaiza. If it weren't for him, Inari would have drowned that day."

Hinata and Naruto looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. ' _It's like how we met, Naruto. If I didn't come along when I did…'_ She didn't finish that thought.

"After that, the two were inseparable. He taught Inari to live with no regrets. To protect that which you care about with both arm, no matter how tough or sad, even if you have to put your life on the line. He saw Kaiza as the father he never had. He look up to him, following in his footsteps. He was so happy when Kaiza married my daughter and I gladly called him son."

"Then one day he became so much more. There was a storm and the floodgates opened. Unless they were closed, the entire lower district would have been lost. However, the current was strong, and everyone was too afraid to swim out tie the rope to the gate so they could pull it closed. Everyone, except Kaiza. That day he became a hero to this land. He taught us the meaning of courage, and Inari grew even more attached to him."

"Then came that dreadful day. The day Gato came to the Land of Waves and took over. Kaiza fought back, but Gato's mercs overwhelmed him and he was defeated. Gato had his arms cut off, crucified him, and publicly executed him as an example to anyone who defied Gato's rule. As poor Inari watched his father die, he changed. His spirit was crushed, as was everyone else's. They all lost faith in heroes."

Everyone in the room was silent, slowly taking in this sad tale. After a few minutes of silence, Naruto got up and walked toward the door. Kurenai looked at her student and asked where he was going. "Something I have to do," he answered. Everyone was surprised, since only a few of them ever heard him speak without a stutter, which in itself was rare.

Naruto walked into Inari's room. Inari turned and asked harshly, "What do you want?" His eyes were red, clear indications that he had been crying.

"I, uh, I heard about y-your father." Inari showed some surprise, but otherwise remained the same.

"Then you understand? Does that mean you'll leave? It's better that you do, otherwise you'll die like he did."

"N-no. I, I'm here b-because…" Naruto's voice started to falter. Taking a moment to gather his courage and find his voice, he finished. "I'm gonna prove to you heroes do exist. M-me and my team will keep y-your grandfather alive, a-and stop Gato. I promise."

Inari grew angry at his words. "You promise? YOU PROMISE! My father made a promise too! He said he'd protect me and defend this land, AND LOOK WHERE HE IS NOW! So don't go promising stuff like that like it means anything and get this through your head! THERE ARE NO SUCH THING AS HEROES! But of course a stupid kid like you would believe in them! None of you know what it's like to lose someone close to you! None of you know what it's like not to feel safe in your own home! No, you've all lived happy lives in that big village of yours! What could you know about what we've gone through! So go and take your bullshit elsewhere."

Naruto just stood there, listening as Inari yelled and insulted him. And when he was done, he just turned around a left the house. That's when Hinata, who followed Naruto upstairs and listened in on their conversation, popped out from her hiding spot, pissed off.

She grabbed Inari by the collar of his shirt and pulled him toward her face. "What the hell is wrong with you?! He wants to help you and you insult him? You should be grateful there's someone willing to help!"

"I'm saving his life!" Inari retorted. "He and the rest of you are just throwing your lives away meaninglessly! Gato is too strong to be beaten! Besides, it's not like any of you know what our lives are like! I've heard about you Hyūga! Your family lives a lavish life!"

Hinata activated her bloodline. "Really? Tell me, are you aware that I lost my mother, or that I lost my uncle shortly after I was nearly KIDNAPPED IN MY OWN HOME?! Or that I have to work twice as hard as anyone just to meet the ridiculous standards of my clan because I'm the heiress?"

"And what do you know about Naruto? You were right about what you said about Naruto never losing anybody, because he never had anyone to begin with! He's an orphan with no family and, until I met him, no friends, living alone. The people of our village always mistreated him, calling him names, encouraging their children to ignore or bully him, refusing him service. And the first time we meet, which was only almost three years ago, he was beaten badly by a bunch of adults right in front of his apartment! In fact, if I hadn't passed by, he would have died that day! Sound familiar? I snuck a peek at his medical records and found out it wasn't the first time, not by a long shot!"

Hinata walk to the door and opened it. Before she left, she said one final thing. "Ask yourself this, do you really want things to stay the same? Is this really a life worth living?" And with that, Hinata went after Naruto, leaving Inari to dwell on her words.

She ran outside, hoping Naruto wasn't too hurt from Inari's words. Everyone else was asleep. She activated her Byakugan to look for him. After a few minutes of searching, she found him in a clearing, Yuki nearby, and what she saw surprised her.

She had expected to find him sulking, or depressed. Instead, she found him sparring with three clones, each wielding a kunai. They charged at him, swinging their weapons. Naruto dove between the two in front of him and slash at the back of one's neck. Then, he kicked the other one hard as the clone turned around and he dispelled too. The last clone brought his kunai down, but the real Naruto raised his own and the two blades clashed. Both jumped back, and the real one threw his kunai right at the clone's heart. Hinata looked at Naruto's blue eyes and saw fiery determination. ' _I've never seen that look in his eyes, not even during the graduation exam. He's really changed a lot.'_ Hinata's heart swelled with pride as she looked at her friend. Deciding to make her presence known, she left the tree line and walked into the clearing.

Naruto was surprised to see Hinata walk towards him. "Hinata! W-what are y-you doing here?"

"I, uh, overheard your conversation with Inari, then saw you leave."

"Y-you didn't do a-anything too rash, r-right?" Naruto asked, worried Hinata's temper may have gotten the best of her.

"Relax, I just had a few choice words with him and left. He was left unharmed I assure you. So, I see your training pretty hard."

"W-well, yeah. I h-have to get s-stronger to keep my p-promise, ya know."

Hinata smiled at this. "Well, don't go trying to be a hero on your own. Remember, ya got me at your side. You and me, we'll save this land. In fact…" She brought her left hand to the pouch strapped to her leg. She grabbed a kunai and gave herself a little cut in her right hand, just enough to draw blood.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Hinata! What are you…"

"Calm down. There's a reason for this, but I need you to do the same, ok?"

"Um, w-why?" Naruto asked confused.

"Simple, we're gonna vow on our blood to never give in and keep our promises. Now, are you in or not?"

Naruto complied and did as Hinata had done earlier. After he was done, Hinata took his hand. Both of them blushed, then Naruto spoke up. "Um, w-what now?"

"Err, I have no idea," she admitted. "I've never done this before. Just give me a second." She thought about how to go about it. "I got it! Ok, on this we night we swear to never give up…" she looked at Naruto, silently urging him to continue.

He got the message. "A-and to n-never go back on o-our word."

"That's our nindo, our ninja way."

"Believe it." Naruto quietly added before covering his mouth with his left hand.

Hinata raised her eyebrow at him. "Believe it?"

"S-sorry, I d-don't know w-where that came from." Naruto said, embarrassed.

Hinata just laughed as she walked to the edge of the clearing. She turned around to face Naruto. "Alright, well enough of this, let's spar. After all, we've both gotta get stronger to uphold our word." She dropped into the Gentle Fist stance. "Come at me with all you've got!"

Naruto nodded and summoned a couple of shadow clones and they all charged at Hinata. And the two of them trained throughout the night.  
-

Alpha: So, what'd you think of that?

Ino: Woohoo! Sasuke kissed me!

Sakura: On the cheek, and it was only to manipulate you.

Ino: He still kissed me!

Sakura: By the way, what's that other document you were working?

Alpha: Oh, it's a runaway fanfic where Naruto leaves the Hidden Leaf Village.

Sakura: Wait, what?!

Alpha: Yeah, but that's gonna be difficult since I won't be able to rely on the show. Still, should be interesting.

Sakura: So where will he go?

Alpha: Let me write the first chapter and maybe you'll know.

Ino: Is it gonna distract you from this?

Alpha: Maybe, or vice versa.

Shino: When will I play a major role?

Alpha: Don't worry. I have plans for you Shino.

Kiba: Why'd you have to make Kakashi-sensei use that technique.

Alpha: Ha ha ha! I loved writing that part!

Naruto: Well, since you love that move so much, why don't I show it to you. (Forms the hand sign)

Alpha: You wouldn't.

Naruto: Leaf Secret Finger Jutsu!

Alpha: GET AWAY FROM ME! (Runs away with Naruto chasing after him)


	10. Chapter 9 Calm Before the Storm

A/N: Next chapter! Also, check out my Runaways stories! They all have the same first chapter, but after that, the stories really start. Also, check out my poll to decide whether to include the Sound village. Also, remember to review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Hinata: I do.

Naruto: Hm? You say something Hinata?

Hinata: N-no! (Naruto just shrugs)

Chapter 9 Calm Before the Storm

Everyone was eating breakfast when Tsunami asked, "Hey, where are Naruto and Hinata?"

They stop eating and look around to see that the two genin were missing. "Hm, I thought it was unusually peaceful this morning," Tazuna joked.

"Now that I think about it, I never saw Hinata in the bedroom," Kurenai thought.

"Yeah, Naruto wasn't in his sleeping bag either," Kiba added.

"I'm sure they're fine. They probably were out training late," Kakashi assured.

"Me and Akamaru will go looking for them. After all, tracking is our specialty right next to kicking ass!" The duo finished their breakfast and went off to find them, following their scent.  
-

A boy of the age of 15 walk through the forest. He had long black hair, dark-brown eyes, and pale skin. The boy wore a pink kimono that had red edges, no sleeves, and had plum-colored swirls on it, along with a white sash around his waist and brown sandals. As he walk through the forest, he spied a child asleep on the floor. The child was a boy with blond hair and an orange outfit. Still asleep, the blond turned his head, revealing his headband with the Leaf symbol.

The older boy's eyes widen as he remembered seeing the boy a few days ago. He slowly approached the blond and kneeled before him. His hand hovered above the sleeping boy's neck, positioned to choke the life out of him.

And then the boy grabbed the blond's shoulder and shook him awake. "Hey, you'll catch a cold sleeping here. Wake up."

The blond awoke and looked at the one responsible for disturbing his sleep. "Oh, um h-hello m-ma'am."

' _Ma'am? Why does everyone think I'm a woman?'_ "Aren't you gonna tell me your name?"

"S-sorry. I'm Naruto. A-and this… W-wait, w-where's Hinata?" Naruto looks around, trying to locate his friend. He spots her curled up next to a tree to his right. "Oh, t-there she is."

"Well, Naruto, it's nice to meet you. My name's Haku. I'm gathering medicinal herbs for my father. He's currently injured at the moment, so I'm gonna use these herbs to heal him."

"D-do you need a-any help?" Naruto asked.

"Why, thank you. I'd like that," Haku answered.

So while Hinata continued to sleep, Haku and Naruto gathered herbs.

"So I noticed your headband. Are you a ninja or are you making a fashion statement."

"Y-yeah, I'm a n-ninja from t-the Leaf Village. I, I was o-out here t-training."

"Really, why?" Haku asked.

"I want t-to get s-stronger."

"But you look plenty strong. Isn't that enough?"

"I, I'm n-not really t-that strong." Naruto said quietly. "I-I need to g-get stronger, so I c-can earn the r-respect of others. T-there are people I n-need to prove myself to."

"So are you training for others, or yourself?" Haku asked.

"Huh?" Naruto didn't understand what Haku meant. Haku couldn't help but giggle at the boy's confusion. "Um, w-what's so funny?"

Instead of answering him, Haku decided to ask something. "So, do you have someone precious to you?"

"Percious?"

"Yes, someone close to you. Someone you want to protect with everything you've got. Someone who gives you purpose. So, do you?"

Naruto turned to look at the sleeping Hyūga. "Yeah, I do." He said softly. Haku barely heard the words, but could tell by the look on Naruto's face that she was his most precious person.

"Good, 'cause it's my belief that only when you have someone precious can you truly become strong," Haku said with a smile. And Naruto could help but smile a little too. "So, what makes her so precious to you?"

Naruto blushed for a sec, but then his face grew sad, which did not go unnoticed by Haku. "W-well, I've been an o-orphan since the d-day I was b-born. A-and for m-most of my life, I was alone." Haku look into his eyes and could see the loneliness in them, the same loneliness that can had been in his own eyes. But then the loneliness left Naruto's eyes as he looked once again at Hinata. "But then I met her. She saved me from my depression. She became my first friend. And soon enough, she help me make more friends, and now I'm no longer alone."

Haku smile. "I know how you feel. The man I'm gathering these herbs for is not my biological father, but after what he's done for me, well, I'm sure you can guess."

"W-what happened?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Well, my parent died when I was 5. I had no other family, so I ended up on the streets. I spent 3 years alone, with no purpose in my life. Then, he came. He found me and took me in. And now my purpose is to protect him, with my life if necessary."

' _She's not that much different from me.'_ Naruto thought.

Meanwhile, as Hinata slept, Yuki, whose fur had been slowing turning brown due to exposure to the sun and the lack of snow, came up to her and nuzzled her cheek. "Hee hee. Naruto, that tickles!" she muttered quietly. Slowly, she stirred from slumber and opened her eyes. "Huh? Oh, morning Yuki," she says, sitting up and stretching. "Now where's…" She looks around until she spies the blond a bit across the forest, with someone she didn't know.

' _Who's she?'_ Hinata thought as she got up and walked toward them, Yuki next to her.

Naruto heard them coming and turned to their direction. "G-good m-morning Hinata, Yuki."

"Hey," she said while looking at Haku. "Um, who's she?"

' _She thinks I'm a woman too, huh?'_ "I'm a friend," Haku replied. "I was out gathering herbs for my father when saw Naruto here passed out. I woke him up, and soon after, he offered to help me and we started talking."

' _That better be all that happened.'_ "So, miss, what's your name?"

Haku was about to answer when they heard someone approaching. They all turned toward the noise to see Akamaru appeared, followed closely by Kiba.

"There you guys are! Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei were a little worried something happened to you last ni…" Kiba stopped when he saw Haku. "Well, helloooo there. Name's Kiba, one of the Hidden Leaf's top genin! So, what do you say we get to know each other better over lunch later?"

Haku giggled at Kiba as he asked him on a date. "I'm afraid I have a busy day ahead of me. Which reminds me, I must be going. But perhaps one day we'll meet again," Haku said as he grabbed his basket. "Oh, but before I go, I have one thing to say."

Everyone gave Haku there attention.

"I'm a boy."

Naruto and Hinata look embarrassed as they had that he was a she, but Kiba looked mortified. "T-that chick w-was a DUDE?!"

Hinata sighed and said, "Let's get going. You said our senseis were worried so lets not keep them waiting."

The three genin along with their animal companions walk back to Tazuna's house, though Kiba was still in a state of shock. "But he looks like… Can't believe that… was so sure."

Akamaru looked back at where the older boy was, thinking his scent was familiar.  
-

Haku walk through the forest until he arrived at a hideout in one of the larger trees. He entered the building and into the bedroom, where the Demon of the Mist laid. "I'm back, master Zabuza."

"What took you so long?" Zabuza demanded. Haku was suppose to be back half an hour ago, and he did not like to be kept waiting.

"Apologies, I ran into the genin you fought a few days ago."

"Oh, those brats." Zabuza examined the boy he had pick off the street years ago. "You don't look like you been in a fight, so what exactly happened?"

"They didn't recognize me. In fact they thought I was a woman," Haku answered, sounding a little annoyed at that last fact.

"Maybe if you didn't dress like that, got yourself a haircut, and laid off the make-up, you'd look more like a man!" Zabuza said, more annoyed at the fact that they've had this argument many times before.

"But I like this look!" Haku argued. Zabuza just shook his head and sighed.

"Just tell me you at least got some info off of them."

"Well, two of them were passed out from late night training. I think they're expecting us."

"No matter. I was gonna have you join me in the final battle else?"

"The young blond seems infatuated with Hyūga girl, and I'm guessing the feeling is mutual, from the way she was looking at me."

Zabuza nodded. With proper planning and luck, they might be able to use that against them. "Anything else?"

"Yes, the Inuzuka mentioned someone named Kakashi was waiting for them at the bridge builder's home along with Kurenai."

Zabuza's eyes widened upon hearing that name. "Did you say Kakashi?"

Haku looked confused. "Yes, do you know him?"

"Only by reputation. Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan Eye, the man who's copied a thousand jutsu. A dangerous opponent. If he was alone, I might be able to take him, but with the the Genjutsu Mistress, and those three brats, we won't stand a chance if we fight all of them at once!"

"Then, perhaps we should leave," Haku suggested. It wasn't just that he didn't like these odds, or the fact that he despised Gato and what he was doing. No, the main reason was that Haku didn't want to have to fight them, especially Naruto. Under different circumstances, he believed the two of them would have been good friends.

"No! I won't ruin my reputation just because things got rough! We'll just have to keep one of the jonin away from the battle."

"As you wish, Lord Zabuza." Haku said dejectedly. "Well, judging from your current recovery rate, you should be ready to fight in about 2 days."

"Hm, plenty of time."  
-

"What happened to you two last night?" Kurenai asked. The three genin, Akamaru, and Yuki returned to find both senseis waiting outside the house."I got worried when I woke up and saw you hadn't returned."

Hinata rubbed the back of her head and smiled sheepishly. "Er, sorry 'bout that sensei. Me and Naruto were doing some late night training. I guess we may have overdone it a bit and ended up sleeping outside."

"While I'm glad you're taking your training seriously, make sure to tell either me or Kakashi so one of us can supervise."

"Yes sensei," the two replied.

"Good, finish breakfast quickly, so we can begin," Kakashi said with a smile. Kiba and Naruto jumped back and covered their asses, remembering what Kakashi did yesterday during training.

"Kakashi, did you forget it's your turn to guard Tazuna at the bridge?" Kurenai asked.

"Of course not. I didn't say I was gonna do it." Kiba and Naruto let out the breathe they were holding in relief. "Well, see ya." And with that, Kakashi left with Tazuna in tow.

"So what's up with two? You got nervous at the idea of training with Kakashi." Kurenai asked the two boys, curious about their reaction.

"W-well, let's just say that with Kakashi-sensei, you learn to watch your back." ' _And your ass.'_ Kiba mentally added while Naruto nodded in agreement. Kurenai just shrugged and lead the genin to where they would train.

"Come on Yuki," Naruto said to his little friend. He jumped into Naruto's arms as the young blond followed his team to their destination.

Hinata hung back to speak with Naruto. "By the way, I haven't forgotten the bet we made. If you need help, ask Kiba. He's tagged along on some of my pranks so he'll be able to help you."

Naruto sighed. Last night Hinata decided a bet would give them extra incentive. If within half an hour, Naruto could land 10 blows on her without being hit back, she treat him to as much ramen as he wanted. And hits by and on clones counted. If she won, however, Naruto would have to prank the Hokage when they got back.

Naruto did better than Hinata expected. His best was 7 blows, and once it was almost 8, but Hinata managed to successfully dodge and counter. After that, she upped the ante, as she had no intention of losing.

So in the end, Naruto ended losing the bet. After listen to Hinata's advice, Naruto decided he would talk to Kiba after training.  
-

Sasuke was soaking his sore body in the tub. Earlier he was jogging and when he turned a corner he ran into a woman with violet hair holding some dango. The collision knocked her treats out of her hands and onto the ground, pissing the woman off. A part of Sasuke felt he just made a big mistake.

Sasuke got up and looked in the mirror, snake bites covering his shoulders and arms. A part of him thinks that if it weren't for that scared man his forehead protector in a bandana style stopping her and making her give him the antidotes for the poisons, he would have died.

' _At least one good thing came out of that,'_ Sasuke thought as he closed his eyes. A second later, he opened them, but they were different. Instead of black eyes, they were red. His left eye had one tomoe and his right eye had two. ' _My Sharingan is finally active! Just wait, brother! I become stronger and kill you!'_

Sasuke got dress in his PJs, which consisted of a black t-shirt with the Uchiha crest on the front and a pair of black shorts. But before he could get to bed he heard someone knocking on his door. Grabbing a kunai just in case, he walked to his door and looked through the peephole to see who it was. There on the other side of the door was Ino.

"You got the info on Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he opened the door.

Ino nodded. Ever since finding out the truth, she debated on whether or not to follow her father's instructions or tell Sasuke what she learned. On one hand, this wasn't her secret and to reveal said secret is a crime. However, Ino still felt she could trust Sasuke, though she didn't know he would react or what he would do with it.

So Ino told him about Naruto having the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him. Sasuke's eyes widened upon hearing that. "So, uh, w-what are we gonna do?"

"Don't worry about it," was all he said before shutting the door and getting some sleep.

Ino sighed. She was hoping to get another kiss on the cheek from Sasuke, or maybe on the lips this time. Still, it was getting late, so she probably interrupted his sleep or something.  
-

"Um, K-Kiba? A-are you s-sure this is a g-good idea?" Naruto asked.

"Trust me. He won't know what hit him!" Kiba assured.

"I-it's not t-that," Naruto argued. "This p-plan is just kinda, um, e-embarassing."

"Hey, you wanted my help."

"I guess."

"It's a good thing Tazuna has all the materials we need. Alright, show me what you've got so far."  
-

Alpha: Well, I bet you can guess what this plan of Kiba's is.

Sakura: Seriously?

Ino: Your adding that?

Alpha: Not exactly a big fan of it myself, but I need it for later. (Sakura and Ino just roll their eyes and leave.)

Zabuza: Well, I better get ready the big fight next chapter.

Alpha: Yep. ' _Now I just need to decide whether to kill him off or not.'_

Haku: Least thanks to the poll I know what happens to me.

Alpha: Now to get the next chapter started.

Kurama: And reveal the true star of this story.

Alpha: Kurama? How did fit into my… You know what, nevermind, I don't wanna know.

Kurama: Good, cause I don't feel like explaining. Now hurry up, people wanna see the power of the greatest of the Tailed Beast!

Alpha: The 10-Tails?

Kurama: NO! ME!

Alpha: Oh, my bad. Sorry.

Kurama: Not as sorry as your gonna be. NARUTO HE'S OVER HERE!

Alpha: Oh crud.

Naruto: Found you! You escaped last time but now I'll get ya. A Thousand Years of Death! (Alpha runs away chased by Naruto)


	11. Chapter 10 Battle for the Wave

A/N: Sorry it took so long. I got distracted. My birthday was earlier this month, so Happy Late Birthday to me. Also, I finally convince my little brother to lend me his Xbox One to play Fallout 4, for two days at least. He got it the console the same Christmas I got this computer. Still not done with the game, so no spoilers. Now prepare for battle! Zabuza and Haku vs Team 8 and Kakashi! Who will win? Ah, who am I kidding, we all know who will win. So who will survive? That is the question. Don't forget to review and check out my other stories! Oh and look at my poll and list of future stories. It will be months before I start those though. I still have this story and my Runaway stories. Short reminder that this is M for language and violence. There will be blood!

Disclaimer: I have never owned Naruto, nor will I ever.

Chapter 10 Battle for the Wave

The day was here! Zabuza was healed and ready to finish his mission. Right now he was speaking to two of Gato's top men, Zōri and Waraji (canon characters, not OCs). Zōri had bluish-white hair. Lined markings are tattooed under his black eyes and wears a dark purple hat, a blue jacket with many pockets, long black pants, and sandals. A katana hung from his waist. Waraji was the taller of the two with with brown hair that parted in three with knots, two on the back and one on top. He has a goatee similar to Hiruzen's, an eyepatch over his right eye, and two stitched scars, one over his left eye, and one on the left side of his lips. He wore a loose-fitting kimono, though his upper body is left exposed. He had bandages over his waist, black pants, sandals, and had a intricate tattoo that seemed to stretch across his entire left side and left right, inner thigh. He too wielded a sword on his waist.

"You two boneheads remember your jobs?" Zabuza asked.

"Yeah yeah," Waraji said, waving him off and ignoring that bonehead comment. "Keep one of the jonin away from the fight. Got it."

"Good, and don't screw around. Both of them are highly skilled on their own," Zabuza warned before dismissing them.

"Do you really think those two are a match for a jonin?" Haku asked, dressed in his hunter nin outfit, though his mask wasn't on yet.

"Not really, that why I gave them something."  
-

"I think you overworked him last night," Kakashi commented as he leaned over the sleeping blond. Kurenai was with him while Kiba and Hinata were eating breakfast, and Yuki was asleep next to Naruto's head.

"Hey! I told him to turn in sooner," Kurenai defended. "But for once, he was as stubborn as Hinata."

"I think your students have had an influence on him." Kakashi said with a short chuckle.

"Honestly, I have mixed feelings about that." Kurenai said. While it was good to see Naruto act more like a ninja, she worried he might take up his teammates' less than admirable traits. Not that she didn't like her team. On the contrary, she was glad to have a chance to train them. They worked well together and even though they sometimes complained, they listened to her and learned it.

"Hey, Naruto awake yet?" Hinata asked with Kiba and Akamaru close behind.

"Nope. In fact, with this level of exhaustion, I wouldn't be surprised if he slept all day." Kurenai.

"What? So he gets a day off while we train our butts off," Kiba complained.

"We're not training today." Kurenai told them, surprising them both. "It's been five days since we fought Zabuza. It's possible he'll recover soon, and there's a good chance he'll bring that hunter nin." Kakashi moved toward them.

"You two…" Akamaru barked. "You three," he correct, "will be joining me at the bridge."

"Wait, if Zabuza might be coming, shouldn't we wake Naruto up?" Kiba asked.

"And what about you Kurenai-sensei?" Hinata added.

"In his current state, Naruto would only be a liability." Hinata started to protest when Kurenai explained. "He pushed himself too far last night and overexerted himself. All his muscles are stressed, and his body needs rest." Hinata sighed, but didn't argue anymore. It made sense, though she believed her sensei could have worded that better. Calling him a liability made it sound like he was just a burden. "As for me, if Gato is the kind of scum I think he is, he'll send his thugs to come after Tsunami and Inari. I need to stay here and keep them safe." The two genin nodded in understanding.

"Well then, we should go."  
-

Zōri and Waraji watched the house from the bushes. The door opened and Tazune came out with his guards. Once he, the three shinobi, and their dog were out of sight, Waraji whispered, "Hey, let's get in there already, they're gone."

"Wait," Zōri told his partner. "We'll go soon, once we're sure they're fighting Zabuza."

"So who do you think will win?" Waraji asked. "Zabuza and his sidekick, or those Leaf shinobi?"

"Doesn't matter," he replied with a smirk. "In the end, the boss wins."

"Personally, I hope Zabuza wins,"

"Really?"

"Yeah, so I can kill him myself when we're done here."  
-

Kakashi, Kiba, Hinata, and Tazuna walked across town to the bridge. "So how long till you're done with the bridge?" Hinata asked.

"Well…" The old bridge builder thought for a moment. "At our current progress, I'd say about a week, as long as no one else chickens out. That and Gato doesn't do anything to delay us."

"Considering how quiet it's been and how close the bridge is to finishing, he'll make his move soon," Kakashi said.

The two arrive at the bridge, only to find the workers on the ground, groaning in pain. "What the hell!" Tazuna shouted. "Who did this?"

' _Damn! I was hoping we'd have more time!'_ Kakashi thought as the mist rolled in.

"Ah hell, not again!" Kiba groaned as he got into his battle stance, as did Hinata, though her eyes weren't activated yet.

"Well, well, well. Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye. I wanted a rematch with Kurenai, but you'll do just fine." Zabuza's voice seemed to come from everywhere at once.

' _Sharingan? Doesn't that belong to the Uchiha?'_ Both genin thought.

"Hinata, use your eyes to spot him." Kakashi commanded.

But before she could perform the handsign to activate her bloodline, they heard Zabuza say, "No need." From the mist in front of them, six Zabuzas appeared. "You look scared, little ones." Hinata and Kiba were trembling, fear evident on their faces from the last time they fought Zabuza's clones.

Kakashi looked at Kurenai's students and smiled, which confused the swordsmen. "So, would you two like to go first?"

At that moment, two genin's faces changed. They stopped trembling and smirked. "I'll take the three on the left," Hinata said, drawing two kunai and holding them in a reverse grip.

"Sounds good to me," Kiba agreed as he underwent the transformation of his All-Fours Jutsu. They rushed at their opponents. Hinata span around the first clone as he slashed down and stabbed him in the back, taking down the first clone. The second one brought his blade down, which she sidestepped, only to duck as the third clone slashed horizontally, grazing her hair. Hinata stabbed him in the gut, leaving one clone she had to deal with. She jumped back as he tried to slice her in two and threw her kunai at him. The clone blocked with his sword, but Hinata slid in between his legs and before he could turn sent a Gentle Fist strike to his back. She then recovered her weapons.

Kiba dashed on all fours while Akamaru stayed back in his Kiba lookalike form to guard Tazuna alongside Kakashi. The one clone tried to cut him in half, but Kiba dodged. He then jumped and slashed the clone's jugular with his claws. The second clone started to attack but Kiba quickly punched him in the gut hard enough to dispel the water clone. The final Zabuza swung his sword. Kiba dodged his attacks, while taunting him. "Missed me!" Duck. "Oh, so close!" Kakashi, Akamaru, and Hinata facepalmed at this. Finally, Kiba jumped back then unleashed his Tunneling Fang and rammed right into Zabuza, who bursted into water.

"Looks like you brats have gotten stronger, wouldn't you say so Haku?" (Quick reminder that Hinata was asleep and Kiba wasn't around when Haku told Naruto his name, so they don't know it's the same boy. I feel I should also add that Haku's mask has a material that blocks the Byakugan's sight, so Hinata can't see his face.) Zabuza walked out of the mist into view, Haku next to him. "But you're a runt short. Where's the orange one?"

Haku smiled at this. Last night, while Naruto trained, Haku snuck out of their hideout and knocked him out with a senbon, then injected him with a sleep drug. He took care in making it look like Naruto had simply passed out from exhaustion. It looks like it worked. Now Haku didn't have to fight his new friend.

When the Leaf shinobi didn't respond, Zabuza said, "Guess it doesn't matter." He turned his gaze to Hinata. "I've never seen a Hyūga fight like that though, especially without using their eyes."

"I'm just full of surprises," she remarked with a smirk. ' _Our clan's taijutsu may be formidable, but it's also become the only thing we use. My father and the Elders are too stuck in the old ways to realise we need to change how we fight lest we become predictable and our enemies learn to counter it.'_ She made a mental note to change that when she became clan head. ' _Also, my chakra reserves aren't exactly that large. I need to preserve my chakra, especially in a fight with a jonin and a ninja of unknown skill.'_

Kakashi raised his hand and grabbed his headband over his left eye, slowly raising it. "Kiba, you and Akamaru stay with Tazuna." Kiba and Akamaru nodded. "Hinata, you take on the boy." Hinata nodded and stepped forward. His headband was now fully over his eye, which was closed and had a vertical scar over it. "Zabuza's mine!" Kakashi opened his eye, revealing his Sharingan! Three tomoes span around his pupil.

Zabuza smirked. This was gonna be fun.  
-

Inari sat in his room, thinking about Naruto's promise and what Hinata told him about the blond's past and her own life. When the shock wore off, he first tried to dismiss it as a falsehood. He wanted to believe she was lying to him so he'd feel bad, but she made him look her in the eye when she grabbed him, and though he was just a kid and was no expert on read others, he recognised the sadness in her eyes. He'd seen that same sadness in the mirror ever since his father died.

No, in the end Inari believed she was telling him the truth. And since then he's been asking himself why? Why weren't they like him? How could they possible move forward after what they went through, especially Naruto? Inari was not stranger to feeling unsafe outside his house. If Naruto experienced the same thing, then just how?

" _Ask yourself this, do you really want things to stay the same? Is this really a life worth living?"_ Of course he didn't want things to stay the same! Gato was threat to everyone in the Wave! Children were being orphaned and left hungry, and the adults weren't doing much better! But what could they do? Gato was too strong! He had an army of mercenaries. Anyone who tried… Inari shook his head. He didn't want to remember that day again.

" _Live your life so that you have nothing to regret."_ His father's words, spoken to him the day they met. Since his death, Inari had buried them deep down, but now they were resurfacing. This was what Kaiza believed in. That if he lived for his loved ones and died for them, he'd pass on with no regrets. ' _Dad, is it true? Do you die without regrets?'_

Meanwhile, Kurenai assisted Tsunami with her chores around the house. It was the best way to stay close to her and it gave the jonin something to do while she waited for Kakashi and her two genin to return and the third one to wake up. Right now they were cleaning the dishes from breakfast. "Thanks for the help, but you don't have too."

Kurenai shook her head. "I don't mind. It's a way to pass the time."

"So, tell me about this Asuma person I heard Kakashi mentioned. Is he your boyfriend?"

Kurenai blushed red and nearly dropped her dish, which was all the confirmation the young mom needed. But before the jonin could respond, they heard the sound of someone knocking down the door. Kurenai quickly put the dish down and rushed to the front door, finding it sliced up with two thugs standing there. Waraji spoke first, "So you're the one who stayed behind. This will be fun." He charged.

Kurenai took out her kunai and block his blade, then kicked him back just as his partner tried to decapitate her with a quick draw. She managed to duck under his blade. She gathered from their fighting style that they were samurai, since it was similar to that of other samurai she has met. Still, they weren't jonin level, maybe chunin and I do mean maybe, but definitely not jonin level. She left a gash on Zōri's arm and parried Waraji's strike and kicked him where the sun don't shine (She's a ninja. They plays dirty). She swung around fast enough to block the next attack from Zōri and their blades were locked. Kurenai steadily gained the advantage when she noticed her opponent was only one hand and he was smiling. Too late as she felt something hit her side. Looking down, she saw a syringe. He had poisoned her! Kurenai pushed the ronin. Her vision started to blur. This was bad. True, at Anko's insistence, she had increased her body's immunity to poison, which she was thankful for, but depending on what type they used, she could be out of it for awhile. She tried to move to finish this quickly, but her legs were wobbly and with one step, fell. As she lost consciousness, she hoped Inari and Tsunami got away.

Waraji was nursing his manhood while shouting, "THAT BITCH! I'LL KILL HER FOR THIS! AH, DAMN THIS FUCKING HURTS!"

"Forget it. Let's just grab the old man's family and get to the bridge."  
-

The Village Hidden in the Leaves burned. Naruto had this dream often. He as the Nine-Tails would attack his home, and Naruto would watch, unable to control his body. He always assumed these dreams were mere fabrications of his worst fears, that the demon fox spirit inside him would one day take over his body and destroy the village.

But then he looked at the Hokage Monument. On top of the last stone head was a man with spiky blond hair and blue eyes, wearing the standard jonin outfit and a white cloak. For a moment, Naruto thought this was a future version of himself, but dismissed the idea. The man's facial features didn't match his own. Actually, they matched that of the stone head he stood on.

' _He must be the 4th Hokage! But why's he in my dream?'_ If this was a nightmare based off his fear, then the 4th shouldn't be there since he was already dead. Naruto was shaken from his thoughts when he saw a tiny orbs of red and blue chakra combines to form a ball at him mouth. ' _Oh no!'_ Naruto could feel the insane power put into the attack. ' _Look out!'_ Naruto wanted to scream, but could. His body was not his own but the Nine-Tails, and the fox was in control of it.

The ball of chakra was launched, but the Hokage made no motion to dodge. Instead, he held out a tri-pronged kunai sideways with both hands, as if that would somehow deflect the rapidly approaching ball of death. The ball got closer and closer until…

Naruto woke up with a start, startling Yuki as he jumped off the bed. He looked around and saw he was in Tazuna's house. ' _Funny, I don't even remember falling asleep. Must have gotten tired without knowing.'_ He then heard Inari scream "Mother!" outside. Naruto got up and ran to the window. He saw Inari and Tsunami on the boardwalk next to their house. They were cut off by two of Gato's men, one in front and one behind.

"Should we take them both?" Waraji asked. His partner shook his head and said Gato only asked for one hostage. "Then I say we take her and kill the runt!"

Inari's eyes widened with fear while Naruto grew worried. Weren't either Kurenai or Kakashi suppose to be here?

Tsunami begged them to leave her son be, saying she'd compile if they did. Waraji looked toward his partner, who nodded. "You're lucky brat. Your mom saved you. Besides, Boss doesn't want us wasting time. We already had to deal with that Leaf bitch."

' _They took out Kurenai-sensei? How? Are these guys that strong?'_ Naruto was scared. If these guys took out his sensei, how was he suppose to stop them. ' _No, I do this. I just need a plan.'_

Inari cried as they bound his mother's hands. "I'm sorry mom," ' _Why? Why did this have to happen? I want to help her but…'_ Gato's men finished and started to take her to away. ' _I'm too weak and I don't wanna die.'_

" _If you really care about something, protect it even if you have to put your life on the line! Protect it, with both arms!"_ Kaiza's words echoed in his mind. He thought about the Leaf shinobi, who are risking their lives for them, his grandfather, who started this project knowing he was painting a bullseye on himself, his mother, who gave herself up to keep Inari safe, and his father, who put his life on the line many times, both for his family and the Wave. ' _Could I be strong like that one day?'_ Inari forced himself to stop crying. Now was not the time for tears.

The two thugs were leading Tsunami down the pier when they heard someone say stop. They turned around to see Inari, who demands they leave his mom alone or else. They just laughed at him before knocking out his mother with a chop to the neck and place a hand on their swords. Inari rushed at them. The two samurai waited in anticipation to slice the boy. But one he was in range of their weapons, an orange blur appeared in front of them as they attacked. They blinked and saw a wooden log cut in three. "Substitution?" Zōri said. "The woman's gone too."

They looked behind to see a wet Naruto with Inari and his unconscious mother. Needless to say, both were annoyed. However, both they could charge him, two Narutos came out of the water like missiles, slamming into the two thugs with enough force to knock them into each other. The clones dispelled upon impact and Zōri and Waraji were out cold.  
-

Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza and stabbed him in the back of the neck with a kunai, only for the mist nin to turn into water before he himself was decapitated by the swordsman's Executioner's Blade. However, it turned out that Kakashi was a water clone too. ' _Must have copied my jutsu.'_ Hearing a sizzle, Zabuza looked down and saw a paper bomb.

BOOM

It exploded, but Kakashi saw that he blew up another clone. He ducked as Zabuza's blade came out of the mist and went over him. He went for a sweep kick, but the missing nin jumped back. "You're at a disadvantage, Kakashi."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Cause the floor's covered with water," another Zabuza said behind him as he trapped Kakashi in his water prison jutsu. The Zabuza in front of him was about to cut him in half when he saw a log in the sphere.

"I was warned about that little trick of yours." Kakashi said as he cut down one of the Zabuzas, who turned into water. As he turned toward the real swordsman, he saw mirrors form around Hinata.

"Looks like Haku's using his trump card." Zabuza commented aloud. "Her fate is sealed. No one's ever survived that jutsu. Even I couldn't be him when he uses that." Hearing that, Kakashi grew worried and silently prayed for Hinata's wellbeing.  
-

' _I've got a bad feeling about this.'_ Hinata thought as mirrors made of ice surrounded her. She had managed to hold off Haku's attacks, despite his speed advantage. She switch off randomly from the style Kurenai taught her to her clan's Gentle Fist, activating and deactivating her Byakugan (she can do so with a single handsign, but not yet without them) and hoping to catch him by surprise. It worked a few times, but Haku quickly caught on and kept an eye out for any changes.

However, due to some well placed strikes that closed a few chakra points in his chest and right arm, Hinata was winning. Until Haku jumped back and popped a pill into his mouth, lifting his mask up slightly to do so. With her Byakugan active, she saw her chakra points open and her reserves partially replenished. It was then that he used this jutsu.

Once the mirrors were fully form, she noticed they formed a dome around her. She was trapped.

"I'm afraid this is the end." she heard Haku say as he appeared in each of the mirrors. This is my ultimate technique, Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors!"

Using her bloodline Hinata saw that the mirrors were reinforced with chakra. Breaking them would require more strength than she had. Suddenly, senbon rained from all around her. Luckily, her Byakugan let her see the attacks coming and dodged most of them. A few scraped her jacket and one landed on the back of her right shoulder. More senbon came toward her, and she kept dodging, unable to fight back. And while she was able to avoid most of them, a few managed to hit her. ' _Seriously, how many does he have?'_ she wondered, til she saw that Haku was making more o

Haku noticed that while she was able to avoid his senbon, she was late to react to senbon thrown from a certain area in her line of sight (which isn't limited to where she's facing), almost as if…

' _She can't see them!'_ Haku thought as he came to that realization. Upon doing so, he refocused his attack, focusing mostly on Hinata's blind spot. As more and more senbon hit their mark, Hinata found herself struggling to stand and trying to protect anything vital.

' _This isn't good. He's found my blind spot, and he's too fast for me to hit as he moves from mirror to mirror.'  
_ -

As the battles raged, Kiba was losing his patience and was on the verge of running to join the fight. And he almost did, until…

Kakashi and Zabuza broke apart. Zabuza performed started a series of handsigns and Kakashi, using his Sharingan, copied and performed the same signs at the same time.

Both shouted out the jutsu. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Two serpentine dragons made of water with glowing yellow eyes emerged from the sea and clashed with one another. Since they were of equal strength, they canceled each other out. After the attack ended, Zabuza caught a kunai that was aimed for his head. "Your aim's improved kid, but the same trick doesn't work twice on me." As he said that, Naruto appeared, kunai in hand.

"Naruto, glad you're here." Kiba said. "Listen, I need you to guard Tazuna while me and Akamaru…" But he wasn't able to finish as Naruto spotted Hinata struggling inside Haku's jutsu. The moment he saw her wobbling as senbon struck her, he ran toward her. There was no hesitation, no fear, no thoughts at all save one.

' _Must save Hinata!'_

He entered the dome and create many clones to shield Hinata. Haku stopped his barrage as he was surprised. ' _How is he here? He should be out for at least another hour! Did I get the dosage wrong or something?'_

"Hinata! Are you alright?" he said frantically, too worried to stutter.

"Yeah." she said, breathing heavily as she started pulling out senbon. " I'll live."

"G-good."

"Listen, this Haku guy, he can…"

"Wait, d-did you say Haku?" Naruto said surprised, earning a confused look from Hinata.

"Yes, she did," Haku said sadly, as he pulled off his mask, revealing his face.

Hinata gasped in surprised. This was the same boy they met two days ago. Naruto's express, however, was one of hurt and betrayal. He thought he was a friend. Someone to add to his list of precious people. And here he was now, trying to kill his best friend and crush. "Why?" he asked.

Haku saw the hurt in Naruto's eyes and looked down in shame. "I truly wish this did not have to happen. Were we not on opposing sides, I believe we would be great friends. But I must do Zabuza's bidding."

"Why?" Hinata asked angrily. "Why do you follow a man like him? A selfish man who cares nothing about honor. Who would doom an entire land and it's people just for money. Is that really the kind of person you want to follow?"

"I follow him because Zabuza is to me what you are to Naruto." Hinata was taken aback by this. "Shinobi are tools. Zabuza taught me that. You've seen what I can do. It is my kekkei genkai, my curse, ice style. By combining water and wind chakra, I can perform ice jutsu."

"C-curse?" Naruto asked.

"I told you that my parents were killed when I was 5. What I didn't tell you was that I was the one who killed my father after he killed my mother." Both genin's eyes widened upon hearing this. "In the Land of Water, those with bloodlines are fear for their power and hunted down. My mother managed to hide her abilities and fell in love with my father. Though we were simple farmers, we were happy. Until I awakened my bloodline. My mother freaked out and told me never to do that again, but my father saw. With tears in his eye, he killed my mother and was about to kill me when, without think, I killed him with my ice." Naruto couldn't help but think back to when he awakened the Rinnegan and killed Mizuki. "I told you that for 3 years, I lived alone, no purpose in my life. It was hell. And then he came. Zabuza, before he went rogue. He took me in, gave me food, a home. But most importantly, he gave me a purpose, to be his tool. So now, I follow him, helping him to realise his ambitions."

"Still, you have to believe what he's doing here is wrong!" Hinata shouted.

"My opinion means nothing. I am but a tool for Zabuza's use, just as Naruto is yours."

"Naruto is not my tool!" Hinata said enraged. "He's my friend!"

"It may not be intentional, but that's what he is. He is loyal to you above all other. If you were to leave, would he not follow? If you told him to kill, would he not do so?" Haku turned his attention to the young blond. "Naruto, what is your personal dream?"

"T-to become H-Hokage," he said softly.

"And if you had to give up that dream for her, would you?"

Naruto looked down. "Yes," he whisper, but he was heard.

Hinata looked at him in shock. She had no idea she had this much power over him. And she didn't like it. "You won't have to. I promise, and remember what we swore."

Naruto gave her a small smile and nodded as he remembered their blood oath. Haku looked at the two of them and could tell they cared deeply about each other, which made this much harder on him. But he would not fail Zabuza.

"Naruto, I need you to cover my back," Hinata whispered. "Haku managed to find my blind spot. It looks like this jutsu takes up a lot of chakra, so I doubt he'll be able to hold it for long. We just need to hold out until he drains his reserves, then we strike." Naruto nodded and summoned more clones.

"I'm sorry, but I must dispose of you now." And with that, Haku's assault continued. However, Naruto blocked her blind spot and kept summoning clones, which were quickly struck down. Having to spread her fire between Hinata and multiple Narutos, they were a great job and wearing down her chakra. ' _This isn't good. At this rate, I'll run out of chakra before I can finish them.'_ Haku began to focus more attacks on the real Naruto, trying to take him down quick and prevent him from making more clones. He launched just enough senbon to keep Hinata at bay.

Hinata watched as more senbon were thrown at her friend. Cuts appeared and blood flow. Hinata watched horrified as she remembered that fateful day, when she found him just as the villagers finish beating him up. Sure, this wasn't as severe as the one from that day, but still, she hated to see him like this.

Haku prepare to finish him off. Hopefully, his attack will only render him unconscious. A flurry of senbon were launched at the blond and it looked like it was over for him. Too injured to dodge, he could only close his eyes and wait. But it never came. And as he opened his eyes, he saw Hinata over him. She had blocked the senbon with her own body. The heiress slumped sideways, unmoving.

"Hinata!" Forcing his body to move, he succeeded in moving his arm and trying to shaking her awake, while begging her to open her eye. But she didn't, she laid there.

" **She's dead,"** the voice in his head said.

"She's dead," Naruto whispered.

" **He killed her."**

"You killed her."

" **Kill him!"**

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Red chakra erupted from his body like an aura as his body changed. His fingernails became claws, his canine teeth grew sharper, his whisker marks were bolder and more defined.

Recovering from the shock of feeling such powerful chakra, he looked into Naruto's eyes and was gripped in fear. They were red with slitted pupils and full of hate! And all of it directed at him. Haku began to bombard Naruto with senbon, with made no effort to dodge. Naruto just unleashed more chakra, and the senbon in his body were forced out. ' _Wh-what is this power? Wait, Zabuza told me…'_ his thoughts were interrupted when Naruto punched the mirror he was in, breaking it. Haku snuck out from one of the fragment and aim his senbon for the back of the blond's neck. But Naruto quickly turned around and grabbed his arm, then punch Haku right in the nose, knocking him out of the dome.  
-

Zabuza duck under the thrown kunai as he charged toward Kakashi and sliced him in half, only to find he substituted with a log. Kakashi was about to attack when he heard Naruto shout.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

And then he felt it. That terrifying chakra, not felt in over 12 years. ' _Oh no! Did the seal break?'_ He turned and saw Naruto punch one of the mirrors. ' _No, but the seal is leaking the fox's power. But what could have…'_ Then he saw Hinata lying on the ground. "Kiba! Take Tazuna and get out of here!"

Kiba looked confused. He had no idea what was going and and what this power he was feeling. "Why? What's going…"

"Just do it!" Kiba flinched, but did as he was told. But before leaving, he looked back and caught a glimpse of Naruto. ' _What happened to him?'_

Zabuza watched as Haku's jutsu crumbled after Naruto punched him. ' _No way! No one's ever beat Haku's jutsu! No one! And what this power coming off that brat? It reminds me of when I tried to kill…'_ Zabuza's eyes widened in realization. ' _That kid, he's like the Mizukage!'_

Haku was being beaten to a pulp by Naruto, who had lost himself in his anger. He punch him right in the gut, causing Haku to cough up blood, then kicked him away.

Kakashi ran to stop Naruto, but he himself was stopped when Zabuza nearly took his head off. "What are you doing?"

"Our fight's not over!" He brought his sword overhead and slammed it down. Kakashi sidestepped it and backhanded the swordsman. Zabuza back up stumbling, but he recover fast blocked Kakashi path. Kakashi knew he had to end this quick, so he started the handsigns for his original jutsu, but Zabuza threw his sword at him. Kakashi moved out of the way, and what he saw next surprised him.

Naruto drew more and more chakra from the Nine-Tails as he approached Haku's battered body. The ice style user had a black eye, a broken nose, broken ribs, and was coughing blood.

"You killed her." Naruto said in a demonic tone. His claws grew longer. "She rescued me from the hell that was my life. She cared about me when others show only scorn. "She encouraged me, believed in me, gave me a reason to live! AND YOU KILL HER!"

He lunged himself at Haku, who closed his eye and awaited death. ' _I'm sorry, Zabuza. I am a broken tool and can no longer serve you. Death is my only fate now. Farewell and thank you.'_

The sound of piercing flesh was heard. Haku's eyes opened, to find Zabuza standing in front of him, Naruto's sharp nails in his chest.

"W- _cough_ Why?" Haku asked.

"It seems… that I was wrong. No matter _grunts in pain_ how hard one tries, a shinobi is still human, and not just a tool."

' _Zabuza…'_ Kakashi thought. ' _Looks like you've found your heart.'_

"All these years… you've been with me, I treat you… like a tool. But, in truth… you were the son I never had… Haku." Haku look at the man who took him in all those years ago with tears in his eyes. He longed to hear those words for years, but never thought he would.

"Seems the demon Zabuza isn't quite the hardcore ninja everyone thinks he is." Everyone turned to see a short man with puffy brown hair in a black suit and purple tie with black glasses. Behind him a large number of mercs. "Good thing I had no intention of paying you."

"Gato, you slime…"

"I must say," Gato interrupted. "Tazuna's little project actually benefitted me. I can turn in yours and the boy's bodies to the Mist for your bounties. Not to mention, the Cloud will pay handsomely for the body of an unsealed Hyuga."

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" Naruto roared.

"Or what? You're outnumbered and worn down from all the fighting. There's no way you'll be able to stop me," Gato gloated.

Naruto was about to charge at him when he felt Zabuza's hand on his arm. "Kid, once you remove those claws of yours, I start to bleed out. And before I do, I want to kill that bastard, like I've wanted since day one. So use this bloodlust of yours on the pawns if you like, but Gato's mine!"

Naruto removed his nails and blood squirted from the swordsman's chest, but he drew two kunai and charged, Naruto next to him.

"Kill them!" Gato ordered as he ran behind his men. They drew their weapons and waited, but as the two ninja approached, their resolve weakened. For a moment, they did not see an injured shinobi and a kid, but an oni (japanese demon) and a multi-tailed fox.

(Here's where it gets more graphic. I warned you.)

Zabuza jabbed the kunai into a merc's neck before taking his katana. He cut off another one's hand before stabbing his heart. He continued to cut down more mercs with his borrowed blade, their blood spraying on him. Pain erupted from his chest, and gave one merc the opportunity to stab him in his shoulder. Another lifted his sword ready to strike down the mist shinobi, when a hand covered in lightning came out of his chest. He fell revealing Kakashi behind him. Zabuza stabbed the man in front of him before turn to the jonin. Both nodded to each other and continued to strike down their foe.

Naruto fought like an animal, clawing and shredding his way through the mercs. One tried to stab him in the back, but a crossbow bolt knocked the knife.

"Nice shot Inari," one of villagers said, the others agreeing. After tying up the thugs who tried to kidnap his mom, Inari convinced the villagers they needed to stand up for themselves if they wanted to be free. The boy just smiled, not mentioning that he was aiming for the man's hand.

Naruto turned and sliced his jugular as he continued his onslaught. As time passed, more and more of the fox's chakra leaked through the seal. ' _ **That's it. Kill them all! Draw on my chakra! It's slow going now, but the seal weakens as you continue to use my power. And when the time is right, I'll be free!'**_

Gato's men started to flee. Some were shot down by the villagers' crossbows. Finally, Zabuza reached Gato who started to back away. "W-w-wait Zabuza. You don't wanna do this."

"On the contrary, I'm gonna enjoy this." He raised his blade and with one swift moment, separated the man's head from his body.

Drained of all his energy and having lost a lot of blood, Zabuza collapsed until he was caught by Kakashi. "Allow me," he said as he carried the swordsman to Haku.

"Listen Kakashi," Zabuza grunted in pain, "No knows Haku's identity. The Mist… only knows him as a false hunter. They don't even… know what he looks like because of his mask. Take him to your village, make it his home."

"I will," Kakashi said as he arrived at Haku's position. He laid him next to the boy.

"Listen to me… Haku. Ever since I found you in that gutter all those years ago, you've followed my dream without question. But now… it's time for you to… follow your own."

"No, Zabuza…"

"Go with them. Make your own purpose. That's an order." Zabuza coughed hard. "I have no regrets. I lived following my dream... and went down fighting, instead of in some bed." More coughing. "Good-bye… Haku." And with that, Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Deadly Swordsman, and the demon of the Mist, breathed his last.

Haku broke down in tears at the lost of his most precious person. Kakashi was also saddened by his death, even though they had tried to kill each other not long before. But he didn't have time to dwell on it because of the surge of chakra coming from Naruto.

He was bent over, clutching his stomach as the red chakra slowly began to form a cloak around him. ' _I have to stop him now before it's too late!'_

Kakashi was about to head toward the blond when he heard a "W-wait." He looked at the broken body of Haku, who managed to spit out, "She… may… still… be…" before losing consciousness.

Kakashi quickly understood and rushed toward Hinata. He lifted her head and checked for a pulse. ' _Please be alive. If not, I'll have to… No, please, not again! I don't wanna have to do that again!'_ He was about to remove his fingers when he felt it. A pulse! She was still alive! "Naruto! Hinata's alive!"

Naruto heard him and the chakra stopped. He turned around and looked at the copy ninja. "She's… alive?"

"Yes," Kakashi said as he lowered his headband over his Sharingan. "Come here." Naruto complied, and as he walked he changed back to his normal self. And on he was normal, exhaustion set in, making his movements sluggish. By the time he arrived he almost collapse. Down on his knees, he let Kakashi guide this fingers to her neck and sure enough, he felt a pulse.

"Hinata's… alive. Thank God." With that he fell unconscious. The villagers rushed over to their saviors and helped them back to Tazuna's.  
-

Alpha: Finally done. By the way Sakura, thanks again for getting Naruto off my back. He almost went in Chakra Mode.

Sakura: My pleasure. (Naruto sits in the corner with a lump on his head) But aren't you worried about Zabuza?

Alpha: Oh, I took care of that. I promised him he'll live in a future fic. ' _Which one, I don't know.'_

Sakura: By the way, since I saved your ass…

Alpha: I guarantee you'll either train with Tsunade and basically have the same skills as canon, train with Kurenai and become the next Genjutsu Mistress, or train with Anko and be skilled in poisons and interrogation.

Sakura: Gonna have a poll about that?

Alpha: Nah. Truth be told I've already decided. You and everyone else will just have to wait.

Kiba: Hey, what gives? I barely did anything!

Alpha: I'll give you a moment to shine, don't worry.

Naruto: And the Rinnegan?

Alpha: Soon, Naruto, soon. But I wanted to show you using Kurama's chakra. Good news, Haku lives. Battered and beaten, but he'll live. Next chapter, aftermath and returning home.


	12. Chapter 11 Meeting and Aftermath

A/N: The battle is over. Haku lives and Zabuza has fallen, taking Gato with him. A bit more time in the Land of Waves and then it's back home. The Chunin Exams Arc will start soon and the Rinnegan will reappear by the end of the exams. I know you guys want it, but I have plans. So please be a little more patient. As always, remember to review. I enjoy reading feedback. Oh, and tell your friends.

Chapter 11: Meeting and Aftermath

Kurenai had recently awoken and was about to leave in search of Tsunami and Inari when Kiba arrived with Tazuna in tow. Behind them, a few villagers were moving the tied up Waraji and Zōri. Kurenai blinked, wondering what happened and asked Kiba where Kakashi and Hinata were. He and Tazuna told her about Zabuza's appearance, Hinata's fight with Haku, and how Kakashi told them to leave. Kurenai was shocked and started to run to the bridge when a crowd arrived. With them was Kakashi carrying an Naruto. One of the villager carried Hinata and another with Haku. Kurenai looked to Kakashi, who smiled through his mask, letting her know her genin were fine. Kurenai let go the breathe she didn't know she was holding.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Kiba shouted. "That's guy was with Zabuza!"

"I'll explain later, just know he's not our enemy anymore." Kakashi told him.

"Well, what about Zabuza himself?" Kiba asked. "You killed him, right?"

"Zabuza's dead, yes." Kakashi gave Kurenai a look that said 'We need to talk.' Kiba mumbled about missing everything.

Naruto, Hinata, and Haku were put to bed to recover. Haku was the first to awake and was given an ice pack for his eye. He tried to get up, but Tsunami won't let him. She insisted he wait in bed and wait for the doctor to arrive and treat his injuries. Haku protested, saying they shouldn't bother since he helped Zabuza try and kill her father, but Tsunami wouldn't hear it. Kakashi explain to her what he knew of Haku's situation.

Hinata woke up next and instantly asked Kurenai about Naruto. She assured the young girl he was fine, just exhausted. Hinata was relied to hear that, but when she started to get up, Kurenai insisted she stay in bed. Hinata huffed but eventually did as she was told. Kurenai got up and when to speak with Kakashi.

Kakashi watch Naruto, who had yet to stir. ' _Guess this must be an aftereffect of using the 9-Tails chakra for the first time, and for quite a bit.'_

Kurenai walked in. "Hinata's awake, and Tsunami tells me Haku's up too."

"And Kiba?"

"I sent him with Tazuna, just in case Gato's thugs want revenge. Inari went too so he can help finish the bridge. Tsunami is downstairs in the kitchen. Now tell me, what on earth happened while I was out!"

"I still can't believe two thugs got the best of you." Kakashi chuckled.

"Don't change the subject! Besides, they were former samurai and caught me off guard with that syringe." she defended.

"Well, I guess the most important thing is that Naruto used it's chakra." Kurenai gasped and Kakashi explained what happen. Hinata being struck down, Naruto transforming, Zabuza's actions at the end.

"This isn't good. As shinobi, our lives our full of danger. If what you say is true, then if something happens to Hinata, Naruto may inadvertently release his tenent."

"Not just Hinata," Kakashi said sadly. "While his reaction probably wouldn't be as extreme, he may lose himself should anyone he care for dies. You, Kiba, Iruka, everyone close to him. Remember, he's been alone for so long." Kakashi looked at the young blond. There were times he wish he'd done more for him. But he was too afraid. He lost everyone close to him, and if he lost his sensei son too...

' _Where am I?'_ Naruto looked around. It looked like a sewer and he was ankle deep in water. ' _Wait, this is the place from one of my dreams."_

" **This way, child."** It was the same voice he heard from time to time. And while Naruto didn't know if he could trust it, especially if it was who he thought it was.

' _But I don't know where else to go.'_ He followed the voice toward a larger room. On the other end was a large cage with a seal tag on it. It was too dark to see into, but Naruto felt a presence in there, a powerful one.

" **Closer, kit,"** the voice beckoned. Hesitantly, Naruto slowed moved closer to the cage. Suddenly, two red eyes glowed in the darkness of the cage. " **Hee hee hee, what a frail little human."** It moved closer into the light until it was visible. A red-orange fox with nine tails.

Were this not Naruto's mind, he would have fainted. Instead, he's eyes widened and he stumbled back, falling on his rear. "Y-y-you, y-your…"

" **Yes, young kit, I am the Nine-Tailed Fox, the being whose been sealed inside of you since the day of your birth."** Naruto started breathing heavily. " **Get up! I'm stuck inside you, so at least try and act tough. Pathetic,"**

"S-sorry," Naruto said softly as he stood, his knees shaking. The giant fox shook his head. "Um, w-why am I h-here? W-what do y-you w-want?"

" **OUT!"** he roared. " **But since that's not gonna happen, to make sure you live."**

"Y-you wanna h-help m-me?" Naruto asked, surprised and confused.

" **Let me make this clear. This is not for you, it's for me. You die, you take me with you. And while it's true we tailed beasts reform, the process puts us in a state much like death. We hear nothing, see nothing, feel nothing. And a part of who we are is lost."** The Nine-Tails looked away. " **We may not die, but the process makes us wish we were."**

"S-so," Naruto started, "h-how are y-you gonna help?" He wasn't sure if he could trust the demon, but it would hurt to listen, right?

" **Healing like I have all your life. Why you still care for those humans despite what they've done to you I'll never understand. I'll be able to speak to you, even when you're not here. And since I've lived since the time of Old Man Six Paths, I have years of experience. So when I chose to give you advice, you better listen."**

"W-wait, y-you've meet t-the Sage?"

" **Yes,"**

"T-then, c-could you m-maybe…"

" **No, I will not teach you how to use the Rinnegan."** ' _ **Especially considering how you acquired it.'**_ The Nine-Tails thought as he remember what happen to Naruto years ago. ' _ **Besides, if he knew how to use them, he may not need my power. And I need him to use my chakra to weaken this accursed seal.'**_ " **Like I said, I'm only helping simply because I don't want to go through reforming. In fact, were it not for the Fourth Hokage's seal, I'd kill you right now."** That made Naruto shiver. " **So while I'll make sure you don't die, your own strength is your responsibility. My help will only come from life or death situations, nothing more, unless I feel like it. So don't ask, I help when I choose."**

Naruto sighed. The Third Hokage made the Rinnegan sound really powerful. With it he could protect Hinata and all his friends. ' _All my friends.'_ Naruto thought happily, ' _Almost three years ago, I couldn't say that.'_ "O-ok, t-thank you."

The Nine-Tails was surprised to hear that. None of his other containers ever thanked him for anything, not even Mito. And it felt weird. " **Just wake up. Oh, but before you go, don't tell anyone else we can speak to each other."**

"W-why?"

" **You don't wanna freak people out do you?"** The Nine-Tails said. " **The people who care about you while knowing about me only do so because they believe in the Fourth's seal. They're already gonna be cautious after your little episode back on the bridge, no need to make it worse."**

"E-episode? W-what are you t-talking about? What h-happened at the b-bridge?" But the Nine-Tails retreated into his cage and thing went black.

"Hey, I think he's waking up," Kurenai said as she saw the young blond begin to stir.

"I'll tell Hinata then check on Kiba and Tazuna over at the bridge," Kakashi said as made his to the door, stumbling a bit.

"The only thing you're doing is getting some rest! You're worn out too." Kurenai ordered. "I'll check on Kiba myself when I'm done here."

"Fine, I just tell Hinata, then catch up on my reading." Kurenai rolled her eyes as he left, knowing exactly what it was he planned on reading.

"K-Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto said opening his eyes. "What h-happened?"

"Well, what's the last thing you remember?" Kurenai asked.

Naruto thought for a moment. "H-Haku, the h-hunter nin w-working with Zabuza, had us i-in his j-jutsu and…" Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered what happened next. "Hinata! Where is she? Is she alright?" Naruto asked, panicked.

"Calm down! She's alright. She woke up a little while ago." Kurenai quickly to calm him down. It worked.

"Thank God. A-anyway, after t-that, I r-remember seeing r-red and then I b-blacked out."

Kurenai was relieved that he didn't remember anything else. She didn't think he was ready yet to learn how vulnerable he was to the fox. It could lead to doubt himself. She decided to wait until either his self-esteem was better, or they found someone to properly teach him to use that power. "From what Kakashi told me, Haku managed to knock you out too before running out of chakra. Kakashi and Zabuza fought each other until Gato showed up attempting to betray Zabuza. So Kakashi and Zabuza worked together and killed Gato and a number of his thugs. Inari also brought some of the villagers to help. But Zabuza was gravely injured and before he died, asked Kakashi to bring Haku home with us."

Naruto nodded, but as Kurenai left to join Kiba at the bridge, he heard the Nine-Tails speak. " **She lies. The cyclops Hatake told her what really happened, and the two of them fabricated this lie in a belief that they are protecting you. If you want the truth, speak to the ice user. You should be able to tomorrow."**

'Huh? W-why Haku?"

" **You'll find out."**

Kurenai arrived at the bridge and was surprised at how many people were there. A lot of able-bodied villagers were helping with the construction, while those who were too young or too old were doing their part by bringing food and refreshments. Kiba kept a lookout with Akamaru for any thugs looking for revenge, but also helped with construction from time to time. It seemed everyone's spirits were up.

"Ah, Miss Yūhi." Tazuna looked away from his work, Inari next to him. "We should be done within the week. Then you can go home. I've already sent someone to discuss payment with your Hokage. I'm a man of my word. Err, most of the time," he added when she gave him a funny look.

"That's good. I'm glad to see everyone so happy but I need to discuss something with a couple of the villagers. Privately."

"It's about Naruto, isn't it? And what happened to him back there?" Inari said.

"Kakashi told us and the other genin it was a genjutsu, an illusion. Kiba believed bought it, but not us. This is one of your ninja secrets."

Kurenai looked at the two of them with a frown. "So, where do you stand?"

Tazuna and Inari looked at each other and nodded. "Naruto saved me and my mom. He restored my faith in heroes."

"People were freaked out, mind you. But I know for a fact that everyone in this land will always welcomed him here and he'll be praised as a hero. After all, thanks to him and you guys, the Land of Waves is free and can prosper once more."

"We won't treat him like your village did." Kurenai looked at him funny. "Um, H-Hinata told me a few things about him after I said some mean things to him."

Kurenai smiled. These were good people, especially now that they weren't oppressed by a greedy crime lord. "Just make sure you keep what you know a secret." The two nodded and Kurenai asked how she could help.

"I'm sorry for my aggressions and treachery." Haku said to everyone with a low bow, fighting the pain he left doing so. His wounds were mostly healed, including his nose and eye, but his ribs were still mending and his chest hurt. They were currently outside the house. "I do not expect you to forgive me soon or even ever, but…"

Hinata interrupted him. "Just be sure to make it up to us when it counts." Though a part of her was still angry at what he did to her and more importantly to Naruto, she was willing to him a chance.

"What she said," Kiba agreed and both Naruto and Akamaru nodded. Yuki was held in Naruto's arms.

Tsunami elbowed her father. " _sighs_ I guess I can look past you trying to kill me."

"And it's not like you really did anything," Inari added. "Gato's thugs were the ones who killed and harassed the people of this village.

Haku smiled. They may not how completely forgiven him, but they were willing to give her a chance. "Thank you. I promise I won't let you down."

Then they heard snickering and looked to see it coming from Kurenai and Kakashi. "I'm sorry I missed it. Good thing you took a picture."

"Finally got it developed yesterday. And I've got copies."

"What photo are you talking about?" Hinata asked. Kurenai gave her a devious smile and reveal it to be a photo of Naruto and Hinata sleeping together against a tree, leaning on each other. Both blushed red. "You took a picture of us?" she yelled in disbelief.

"Can I have it?" Inari asked. He was too young to understand exactly the interest of that pic, but it bugged Hinata, so he thought he'd have a little fun. Kurenai nodded and handed him the pic. Naruto's face got brighter and brighter red. (His hair may not be Uzumaki red, but in this fic, his face makes up for it.)

"Give… Me… That… Photo!" Hinata growled. Inari stuck his tongue out and ran as Hinata chased him.

"Hey, give it here Inari!" Kiba shouted wanting to join the fun as he ran past Hinata and found himself next to Inari. Inari gave him the photo and they separated.

Hinata started chasing him. "Kiba Inuzuka, you give me that or I'll…" she started shouting threats which Kiba ignored. The two of them played keep away, secretly passing the photo to each other whenever Hinata got too close. The adults watched with amusement, none noticing the disappearance of two in all the merriment..

Haku walked up to the wooden cross that marked Zabuza's grave. Next to it was his Executioner's Blade, jabbed into the ground. "Hello, Zabuza. These Hidden Leaf shinobi have forgiven me and are willing to accept me. Kakashi intends on keeping his promise to you.  
They're a bit strange, but I think I'll be happy with them." Haku took a moment to fight back the tears forming in his eyes. "You told me to make my own dream. I'm still not entirely sure what it is, But I'll make one, I swear." Haku felt a presence behind him and turned his head, slowly drawing his senbon just in case.

But when his eyes found the intruder to be Naruto, he put them back. "S-sorry, d-didn't mean to i-interrupt."

"It's fine," Haku said as he turned around to face the blond. "I was pretty much done anyway. Was there something you needed of me?"

"W-well uh…" Naruto pondered how to approach this. "C-could you tell me w-what happened... a-after you k-knock Hinata unconscious."

Haku quickly hide his shock. "Um, didn't your sensei tell you?"

"K-Kurenai-sensei talked t-to me. B-but I don't t-think she w-was being c-completely truthful." Naruto stepped forward a bit. "W-what really happened? W-were you r-really hurt by Gato's t-thug after y-you ran out of c-chakra?"

Haku sighed. "You won't like it," he warned. "After, um mistaking Hinata's condition, you were enraged and started to release this red chakra."

' _Red chakra?'_ Naruto thought.

"It felt… terrifying." Haku admitted with a shiver at the memory. "My attacks stopped working and I was overpowered. I'm still recovering from the injuries you gave me," Haku said as he rubbed his chest. "You acted like a different person." That scared Naruto. "You were about to finish me off, and I closed my eyes, accepting my fate. Then…" He turn away as tears formed in his eyes. "Then Zabuza, took the blow for me. He saved me and told me I was like his son." Haku stopped trying to stop it and let the tears flow free.

Naruto immediately felt guilty. "I'm sorry," he said, quietly, but Haku heard.

After managing to stem the flow of tears, Haku spoke. "I'm angry. Angry that Zabuza's dead, angry that you killed him." Naruto lowered his head, feeling ashamed. "But I do not hate you. I cannot hate you. How could I, when I tried to do the same to you." He turned around and walked toward Naruto. "That why I can look at you and see you as a comrade," he said with a smile.

Naruto was glad that Haku didn't hate him, though he still felt guilty, and he didn't like hearing that he lost control of himself. ' _What if I lose control in front of Hinata? What if she learns about the fox and hates me or worse, I hurt her? Or someone else I care about?'_ "T-thank you, Haku. I w-wish I c-could explain, but…"

"I already know," he said, shocking Naruto. "I guessed it shortly after you unleashed that power. You are not the only demon container. All the major villages have at least one, or so Zabuza told me. In fact, the current Mizukage is one."

"S-someone like m-me became Kage?" Naruto asked, hope filling him that he had a chance too.

Haku nodded. ' _It may not be a good idea to tell him the role he's played in some of the Mist's more unsavory activities.'_ "As I was saying, before Zabuza died, he asked, or rather insisted, that he kill Gato himself. I don't know much after that, only that he killed Gato and that it wasn't until you heard that Hinata was alive that the demon's power receded. Or so I was told. I lost consciousness after telling Kakashi that she may still be alive."

Naruto nodded, thankful that he knew the truth but terrified at what he had done. What he was capable of with the fox's chakra, and Haku could see this. "Please, don't lose faith in yourself. After all, you were able to suppress it when you needed to." Haku looked away and off into to the distance. "Whether you like it or not, this power is as much a part of you as my blood. Even if you quit being a shinobi, it will never go away. All you can do is your best to stay in control." Haku walked away.

" **Just to be clear, I won't give you my power whenever you ask. Only when your life is in danger."** ' _ **As much as I want to leave this infernal prison, I'm not gonna give this brat my power all willy nilly, even just to weaken the seal. Besides, it would draw the attention of their Hokage and that student of his.'**_

' _I d-don't really w-want to g-give you c-control of my b-body.'_

" **I don't control you, not necessarily. My influence is in my chakra, so when you draw on my power, you also draw on my hatred and your own."**

' _B-but I don't…'_

" **Do you really believe you have no hatred? After the life you've had? The beating, the looks, the resentment? You've merely pushed it into a corner of your mind, but it's there, I can feel it. All that hate for everyone who's wronged you, who's hurt you. And you cannot get rid of it. It a part of you."**

' _I… see. T-thanks, I guess.'_ The fox still found it bizarre that the boy would thank him, but chalked it up to habit, rather than true gratitude.

"Do you really have to leave now?" Inari whined. Since the battle, he had apologised for his behavior beforehand and actually got close with them. But now the bridge was finished and everyone healed up. It was time to go home.

"Fraid so," Hinata said.

"B-but um, we can visit, r-right sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Sure, one day we could come here on vacation," Kurenai said.

"Or we'll come to you," Tsunami pitched in, which brought a smile to Inari's face. It fell temporarily when his mother told him not today.

\ "See ya squirt," Kiba said, messing with his hair.

"We'll see each other again. Don't you worry." Hinata said, giving the boy a hug, which he returned.

"Y-yeah, I'm l-looking forward to it." Naruto said.

"Thanks again, Naruto," Inari said with a smile as he hugged him.

Naruto felt a bit embarrassed. "I, I didn't do i-it alone. E-everyone else h-helped. Sensei, Kiba, Hinata, and Kakashi-sensei all d-did more than me."

Inari shook his head. "You the reason I can believe in heroes again."

"Haku, hurry up." Kakashi shouted before turning toward Team 8. "As nice as it is with you guys, I need to get back to my team. I'm sure they've learned tree climbing by now, and I need to help Sasuke activate his Sharingan."

"Alright, I'm ready." Haku came out dressed in the pink kimono he wore when he met Naruto in the forest. Those who were not there were surprised.

"For though who now feel unsure, I am a boy." Haku said with a sigh. ' _I don't look that much like a girl.'_

Team 8 and company finished saying their goodbyes and left for the journey back to their village. Meanwhile, Tazuna contemplated the name of his bridge. "How about, the Great Tazuna Bridge?"

His daughter and grandson looked at him and shook their heads. "I like the Great Naruto Bridge."

"Yeah, me too," Tsunami agreed.

On the road, Kiba decided to ask Haku something. "Say Haku, are you, you know, into the same team?"

Haku didn't understand what Kiba was asking so he turned to Hinata, who translated. "Are you into guys or girls?"

Haku though for a moment. "No clue. Thing like that were not on my mind while I was with Zabuza. Guess I'll find out when we get to your village."

Alpha: To be gay, or not to be gay. That is the question. Translation, should I make Haku gay and if so, with who? I already know a girl to pair him up with, but if you guys want him with a guy, I'll do it. I don't really mind.

Sasuke: Is it because…

Alpha: Nah, I like women. I just don't care about other people.

Naruto: What! How could you not care about people?!

Alpha: That's not what I meant! Let me rephrase that. I don't care out stuff like if they're gay or foreign or their skin color… things like that.

Naruto: Oh.

Alpha: Anyway, there's no poll for this, just send a review and please, if you don't want gay, please just say so politely.

Sasuke: Why are you asking anyway?

Alpha: Just thought I would, no real reason. Oh, by the way, if yes, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kiba are off limits. Naruto 'cause well, this is NaruHina, as is every fic of mine.(See profile) Sasuke, 'cause he's a jerk in this story, and I have plans for Kiba. Something noncanon. But you can ask for other characters, or ask me to make a minor OC. In other news, my poll is finished and the majority of you, 15 to 13, have voted that I make a Runaway version of the Sound Village.

Orochimaru: Hmm, sounds interesting.

Alpha:Ummmm…

Orochimaru: Don't worry, the "villains" of the series such as myself won't hurt you. Or steal your body, Sasuke. Here at least.

Alpha: Good to know. I've only met former villains turned good at the last minute.

Orochimaru: I look forward to reading that story. Farewell. (Leaves)

Alpha: That dude is freaky.

Naruto: Agreed.

Sasuke: Try training with him.

 **Naruto: I saw you gave Kurama**

Alpha: Well, gotta go.


	13. Chapter 12 The Big Reveal

A/N: The Wave Arc is officially over! Now a few things need to be taken care of. Then Gaara and his siblings will show up, signifying the start of the Chunin Exams Arc.

Chapter 12: The Big Reveal

The Village Hidden in the Leaves was in sight for the travelers. Kakashi had gone on ahead, saying he need to get back to his team quickly. "We're home!" Kiba shouted.

"Yeah, home," Naruto mumbled too low for anyone to hear as he hung back. Home, where everyone hated at him for something he had no control over. Where all the glare and resentment was aimed right at him. After spending some time in the Wave, where people greeted him with a smile and kindness, he dreaded returning.

All too soon for his taste, they passed through the gate and headed for the Hokage's office. Once there, Kurenai gave the mission report and explained Haku's presence. "Yes, Kakashi told me about him when he returned. So, you wish to join our ranks?" Haku nodded. "Hmm. You'll have to spend some time at the academy, but since you've already received training, you'll only have to be there a few months. You will join the other genin who failed the True Genin test the first time around and get assigned a team as afterwards. If you pass, you'll become a genin."

"Woah, Haku's a lot stronger than a genin. Trust me, I know," Hinata argued.

"Kakashi filled me in on some of his abilities, including his bloodline. Still, there are procedures that must be followed. You'll also have to spend a few sessions with Ibiki for security reasons. I'm afraid there's no alternative."

"It's fine." Haku assured. "Will I be confined?"

"No, but you will be monitored for a while. We can't risk anything."

"Understood. Thank you, Lord Hokage." Haku bowed and Hiruzen smiled. He was eager to have the boy, and not just because of his kekkei genkai. Though he could see why Kakashi made it adamant Haku was a boy. He looked quite feminine.

"He's expecting you now. The ANBU will escort you." As he said that, one appeared and lead Haku away.

Hinata leaned into Naruto's ear and asked if he had his prank worked out. He blushed, but not because of Hinata's closeness. It was because of how embarrassing a prank Kiba came up with. He managed a nod though. Once they received payment, Kurenai told them they had the rest of the day off and to be at the training ground at 7 tomorrow. As her students left, she stayed in the Hokage's office to speak about the incident at the bridge.  
-

The trio went over to Ichiraku for some lunch. Afterwards, Hinata left, tell them her father has likely learned of her return and was waiting for her at the compound. "We gotta go too," Kiba told her.

Naruto looked confused. "We do?"

"If you want Yuki there to be your pet, we need to take him over to sis for a check up and to have him registered," Kiba explained. Naruto nodded. Luckily Hana liked him just like her mother. "Hey, maybe you can put him in your jacket like I do sometimes with Akamaru here." He showed him by taking Akamaru from the table and putting him in his coat with just his head and front paws sticking out. "Though most of the time he prefers my head. Try it."

Naruto did, lowering the zipper on his jacket slightly and putting Yuki in. He seemed comfortable. "Later guys," Hinata said as she ran off home. But when she was halfway there, from out of the shadows came Sasuke. Hinata sighed. "Really? Didn't we already go through this? Let me guess, you're here to insult Naruto, I get mad, kick your ass, then leave, right?" Hinata started to walk away, not wanting to waste her time on him.

Sasuke nearly growled at the memory, but suppressed the urge. "I simply want to tell you want you want to know. About Naruto's little secret and why the village hates him."

Hinata stopped. She wondered if this was a trick, or if he was lying. But curiosity got the better of her, so she turned around and gave him her attention. "Make it quick. And don't lie to me, or I'll be angry. And believe me, you won't like me when I'm angry."

"It has to do with the day he was born. I'm sure you know what I mean."

Hinata nodded. October 10, the day the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the village. Everyone knew of that infamous day. She wondered what he was getting at. ' _Is he saying Naruto is hated because he was born on the same day the Nine-Tails struck? That his birth was the reason for the attack or something?'_ "If that's the big secret, quite wasting my time. I already know."

Sasuke shook his head. "Oh, but you don't know this. Turns out, the Fourth Hokage couldn't kill the mighty fox. What we were told was actually a lie." Hinata frowned, causing Sasuke to smirk. "What really happened, was the Fourth sealed it away."

"Seal it in what?" Hinata asked while wondering what this had to do with Naruto.

"Not what, who." Hinata's eyes widened in realization. "That's right, our timid little mouse is actually a fox." Of course, Sasuke didn't believe Naruto was the Nine-Tails itself. Nor was he afraid of him. But it didn't matter what he thought. What mattered was driving a wedge between the two.

Hinata looked at the Uchiha angrily. "How dare you try and feed me this bullshit story!"

Sasuke expected this. "Ask Ino. She's the one who told me, and I doubt she'd make something like this up. And when you finally realise your Naruto is not who you think he is, just remember who opened your eyes." Hinata just huffed and ran home. Sasuke started to walk off, not noticing the bug flying off him and rounding the corner to it's master.

Hinata arrived home, still not believing what she heard. ' _Seriously Sasuke, an unbelievable story like that? Am I supposed to buy it? Oh I'll talk to Ino alright, and when this mess is cleared up…'_ Her train of thought stopped when she saw her father waiting for her. "Father," she said, deciding to bow to speed things along.

Hiashi nodded, glad to see Hinata show some respect, though more likely she wanted to get this over with quickly. "Hinata, I heard about your mission. It seems you performed, adequately." ' _Still, to have encountered a rogue jonin twice, not to mention someone like Zabuza Momochi, and survive is impressive. Good work, daughter._ Hinata wait for the inevitable... "But," and there it is, "I was told you did not stick to our clan's taijutsu."

"It was necessary," Hinata argued.

"Perhaps that is because you are not yet proficient enough. Your skills in the Gentle Fist only surpass that of your sister due to age and experience, and you are not yet at Neji's level." Hinata sighed. "But before we get to that, we must talk about your teammate, the Uzumaki." Hinata frowned, wondering what her father had to say. It was asking too much to think he had suddenly changed his opinion about her blond crush. As he led his daughter to his office, Hiashi's thoughts turned to ' _I pray Lord Third never learns of what I'm about to do.'_ "As you know, he is, not held in high regard amongst the villagers."

' _Now Father's gonna tell me why people hate him? At least maybe now I can learn the truth. Take that Sasuke!'_

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll get straight to the point. When the Nine-Tails attacked the village, the Fourth Hokage seal the demon away inside a child, Naruto."

' _What! Now you're telling me that too?'_ "Is this some plot you and Sasuke cooked up? Cause he just told me the same thing not too long ago." Hinata said, crossing her arms.

Hiashi was surprised, something Hinata noticed. ' _How'd the Uchiha find out? No matter, at least if I'm found out, I can say Hinata already knew.'_ "I was unaware that the young Uchiha had informed you of this. Nevertheless, it does not change the fact that it is true. Naruto holds one of the most powerful beings in him, and he is dangerous to be around. Originally, he was suppose to be on Sasuke's team since his Sharingan can possibly subdue the beast long enough to be resealed should it ever get out. Now that you know, I trust you'll take the appropriate steps."

Hinata didn't answer. She just balled her fists and walked out, not bothering to wait for permission. She left the compound, only to run into Shino. "We need to meet with the others," he said.  
-

Naruto walked toward his home alone. Hana had asked to keep Yuki overnight and for him to return tomorrow. Kiba was walking with him when Choji came and told Kiba to follow him. When Kiba asked what this was about, the Akimichi heir said he didn't know, just that Shino wanted to talk to him. Naruto asked to come along, but Choji told him it was private, so now he was walking alone. Luckily, the villagers stopped ambushing him when he was alone. Apparently now that he was a shinobi, they figured they'd let the enemy deal with the 'demon brat'.

He arrived at his apartment, only to see Sasuke in front of it. "W-what do y-you w-want, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, trying to sound brave, but failing.

Inside him, the Nine-Tails scoffed at Naruto's behavior. " **You faced an two chunin, a kekkei genkai user of exceptional skill, and an elite jonin not that long ago! How can a mere genin scare you?"** the fox yelled.

"What, I'm not allowed to visit? I'm hurt," Sasuke sarcastically remarked.

"J-just leave m-me a-alone," Naruto said as he quickly rushed past him to the door.

"Just hold on a sec, Foxboy." Naruto froze. "That's right, I know all about your big secret. To be honest, it makes no difference to me. Demon or no demon, you're still a loser. Nothing will change that." Naruto actually sighed in relief. Even if he and Sasuke would never be friends, he'd rather have Sasuke treat him like this than fear him for the fox. "Can't say the same for Hinata though."

Naruto looked at the Uchiha horrified. "Y-you… you didn't…"

"Oh I did," Sasuke said with a smirk. "Ino knows too. No doubt all your other so called friends will find out and soon." He walked over to the boy and leaned toward his left ear. "Normally, I wouldn't have bothered with you. Yes, I insulted you a few times, but I find you to be beneath me. But you got in my way with Hinata, forcing me to lower myself in order to ensure her rightful future at my side." He pulled away walked off.

Naruto opened the door and rushed to bed, all sorts of thoughts rushing through his head. ' _What now? Will they hate me too? Will they treat me like the plague?'_ His thought turned towards his best friend. ' _Hinata, what will you think of me?'  
_ -

Shino and the other rookies, minus Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, were outside the academy, by the lone swing on the tree. The sun was low, giving the sky a yellow orange glow. Since it was late, no one else was there. "I assume, you are all wondering why I asked you all here." All of them nodded except Hinata, who knew what this was about. She looked like something was bothering her. Something that upset her. "First, how many of you know Naruto's secret?"

They were surprised by the question, but even more surprised when Hinata, Ino, and Shikamaru raised their hands. "Who told you?" Ino asked.

"No one," Shikamaru answered. "I figured it out shortly before we graduated. Confronted my dad about it. The look on his face said everything. Figured it'd be troublesome to reveal it without Naruto's permission, so I kept my mouth shut." He turned to Choji. "Sorry about that."

Choji just ate another chip. "I get it. It wasn't your secret to reveal."

"Well, now I believe is the time to reveal it," Shino said. "After all, if he doesn't, Sasuke will."

"W-what makes you think my Sasuke knows?" Ino asked nervously, not looking anyone in the eye.

Hinata kept quiet, an angry look on his face, so Shino answered instead. "I overheard him tell Hinata, and mentioned that you could attest to it." Hinata looked at Shino in surprise, but then nodded, confirming what he said was true.

"Can we get to telling us the secret already!" Kiba demanded as he gestured to himself and Choji. "Cause apparently we're the only ones left out of the loop."

So they told them what they knew, about Naruto carrying the Nine-Tails around. Needless to say they were not expecting that. Kiba's mouth hung open while Choji dropped his chips. Ino was nervous the whole time and Hinata still hadn't said a word, much to everyone's surprise.

"That's… that's…" Kiba tried to speak but was at a loss for words.

"I don't think I could ever look at him the same," Ino admitted, drawing all eyes on her. "I know he's not the fox, but there's so much we don't know. What affect does this have on him? Could he be influenced by it? Is he even safe to be around?"

"Naruto is Naruto, no matter what," Everyone turned toward Hinata, who finally spoke. Her voice was firm, she would not be swayed.

But Ino tried anyway. "Hinata, I don't want to believe Naruto is dangerous, but…"

"But nothing!" Hinata shouted. "I'm his teammate and not once has he shown any sign of that thing in him. Right Kiba!" She turned to her other teammate, only to see unease on his face, which confused her.

"Um, actually, I think something did happen. Back on the bridge, when you were unconscious and we thought you died, Naruto got angry and shouted that he'd kill Haku, then this red aura flared up. I think it was chakra, but it felt… frightening." Akamaru whimpered at the memory as Kiba continued. "I didn't see much, since Kakashi-sensei told me to leave, but I got a look at Naruto, and he didn't seem like himself. Kakashi-sensei told me what I saw was a genjutsu, but now, I think he used the fox's power."

"See," Ino said. "As much as I hate to admit it, Naruto does carry a risk. I'm not saying we should act like everyone else, but…"

"You want us to be afraid of him?" Hinata said in disbelief.

"Look, I told you I don't enjoy this, but we have to face facts," Ino argued. She wasn't happy with what she was saying, but she couldn't ignore this. "Kiba said it himself, Naruto succumbed to the fox before. How do we know he won't do it again?"

"For all we know, it really could have been a genjutsu," Hinata countered.

"It wasn't." The rookies jumped as they turned to the source of the voice. Up on one of the tree branches was Haku, in his hunter nin attire, minus the mask of course.

"Hey, who are you?" Choji asked.

"That's Haku," Hinata answered.

"Wait, you're the one Naruto said he'd kill?" Ino asked.

"Corrected, and try he did. Almost succeeded, until Lord Zabuza saved my life."

"Who?" Choji asked.

Hinata and Kiba explained how Zabuza was hired to kill the old man they were protecting and Haku use to work for him, then quickly explained that Zabuza had a change of heart, sort of, and helped kill Gato. Now Haku was in the process of becoming a Leaf shinobi. "As I was saying, what you saw Kiba wasn't a genjutsu. Naruto believed I had killed his most precious person and lost himself, giving his demon power over him."

"See, the Nine-Tails does have power over him." Hinata glared at Ino, who shut up.

"I believe that is only in moments of intense anger, however," Haku assured.

"Um, that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence," Choji admitted. "Sorry, but given how he was treated, it's amazing he hasn't gone on a killing spree already."

"As troublesome as it is, Choji's got a point."

"Naruto never hated the villagers." Hinata said, "Hell, his dream is to become Hokage so he can give them his protection, as undeserving of it as they are."

"Yes, his ability to forgiven their wrongs is truly unique." Haku agreed. "Because of that, I believe instances like what happened on the bridge will not come often."

"But they will come, right?" Ino asked. Haku didn't say anything, but the look on his face was answer enough. "Hinata, I know you care about Naruto but see reason." But Hinata just held up her hand. She would not listen anymore. She turned away and walked off. Ino sighed and left for home herself.

Shikamaru sighed. "Things are gonna be troublesome for a while. What a drag."

"Agreed," Shino said.

"So, what now Shikamaru? How do we act?" Choji asked, looking to his best friend for guidance.

"I can't make that decision for you Choji. I've had plenty of time to think up the many different scenarios involving Naruto and the Nine-Tails. I've made my decision, now you have to make yours." Choji sighed. "What about you, Shino. What do you make of all this?"

"While logically there is danger in his condition, I choose to wait until that danger shows itself to address it." Shikamaru nodded. He was thinking along the same lines. As far as they were concerned, until they saw any sign of Naruto falling to the fox, they'd treat him no differently than before. Choji decided he need time to think before he came to a decision. Same with Kiba.  
-

"Hinata!" Hinata stopped roof hopping and turned toward Haku, who had been following her. "It good to see that you still value Naruto."

"Of course I do. Nothing will ever change that," Hinata said with conviction.

Haku smiled. "Good. Though I have known him only a short amount of time, I feel as though we share a bond. Perhaps it's because we both experienced the same pain. The pain of loneliness and having no purpose at one point in our lives."

"It does annoy me though that Naruto didn't tell me," she admitted.

"You have to look at it from his point of view. He was outcasted for something he had no control over. And because so many of them view him with distain for that one thing, it made him hesitant to share it, for fear of losing what he has gained. My mother was similar. Though she loved my father with all her heart, she did not tell him of her bloodline for fear of losing him. A fear that later proved to be accurate."

"I… guess that makes sense." Haku was about to leave when Hinata spoke. "Hey, Haku?" Haku turned back toward her and saw a sad look on the young Hyūga's face. "You said, that Naruto changed because he thought I died, right?" Haku nodded. "Does that mean, that it was my fault?"

"There's no point in placing fault. You did what you did to protect him. If anything, the fault is my own for throwing the senbon." Hinata felt relieved, but Haku wasn't done. "However, do not underestimate how important you are to him."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"I told you, back on the bridge, that Naruto was loyal to you above all else. You saved him from his hell just as Zabuza saved me from mine. You are his most precious person. And while you may never truly understand just how much you mean to him, the fact remains that if anything ever happened to you, he would be devastated, something the fox demon would no doubt take advantage of." Haku turned away and left.

Hinata stood there for a sec before racing off to her destination once more.  
-

Naruto poured boiling water into the chicken ramen cup. He tried to take a nap to calm himself down after what Sasuke told him, but that just gave him nightmares. He recently woke up and decided some ramen would be better. As he waited, he wondered how Hinata reacted. ' _I guess the fact that she hasn't come after me is a good sign.'_

Just then, someone was knocking on his door. "Naruto? It's me, Hinata."

Naruto stubbled. Hinata was here. ' _Is she here to talk about fox? Is she gonna yell at me?'_

"Hey, Naruto, you home?"

Naruto considered pretending he wasn't but then he remembered Hinata's Byakugan. She could see if he was in there if she wanted to. Sighing in defeat, Naruto called out, "O-one second." He slowly made his way to the door and let her in,

"Thanks. Where's Yuki?" Hinata asked. She wasn't sure how to bring up the subject of the fox so she figured she'd start with some small talk.

"Oh, um, H-Hana said s-she had to k-keep him overnight, ya know," Naruto answered. ' _Maybe Sasuke was just messing with me.'_ A ding reminded him of his meal. "Oh, um, w-want something?"

Hinata shook her head. "Nah, I gotta head back for dinner soon. I just figured I'd spend sometime here."

"Oh, w-well come in." Naruto moved to the side and allowed Hinata to enter.

' _Ha, if Father heard I was in a boy's house alone with him…'_ She broke her train of thought and sat at Naruto's small dining table. He followed shortly and sat across from her, chopsticks and ramen in hand. "Hey, um, ran into that jerk Sasuke earlier today."

Naruto froze mid slurp, noodles hanging out of his mouth. ' _So Sasuke did talk to her!'_ Finishing his noodles, he nervously asked, "W-what did he want?"

"Oh, he was trying to separate us me this crazy story about you. I wasn't buying it, so I left, not wanting to waste anymore of my time."

Naruto nearly sighed with relief. ' _She doesn't believe him!'_

Hinata almost frowned at the relieved look on his face, but remember what Haku said. "Anyway, I got home, where my father was waiting for me. He said I was adequate."

"B-but you were g-great!" Naruto argued.

"Thanks, but I learned a long time ago Father isn't one to say 'Good job!' or 'You did great!'. In fact, any verbal acknowledgement is rare in itself. Usually he just nods if I did good and frowns if I didn't meet his expectations." Hinata assured. "Anyway, he was disappointed that I didn't rely on the Gentle Fist, so he's probably gonna have me train with him more." Naruto nodded. Unfortunately, this meant she wouldn't be around as much. "But before he dismissed me, he told me something strange."

"W-what?" Naruto asked as ate more ramen.

"He told me the same story Sasuke told me." Naruto choked on his food and spilled his ramen. Hinata quickly ran behind him to give him the Heimlich maneuver. Naruto spat out some chicken. "Shit, sorry Naruto. I was trying to subtly bring the subject up, but forget it, I'll just say it. I know the Nine-Tails is inside you and I don't care! You hear me, I don't care!" Hinata told him as he caught his breathe.

"You… you don't?" Naruto said surprised.

"No. You're still you." Hinata said as she moved him to couch. "The only thing that upset me about it was the fact that you didn't tell me. How long have you known?"

"S-since graduation. M-Mizuki-sensei t-tricked me into s-stealing an important s-scroll, telling me I'd g-graduate if I did. It's h-how I l-learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu. B-before he t-tried to k-kill me, he told m-me about the fox." Naruto stared at the ground. "Um, b-by the way, d-do you think the o-other know now?"

"Well, yeah, the others know. Except maybe Sakura. I doubt Sasuke would have a reason to tell her."

Naruto sighed. "Sasuke t-told them too, huh."

"Not… quite." Hinata said. "Shino asked the others to meet at the academy. Apparently, Shikamaru figured it out. Gotta admit, he may be lazy, but he's definitely a genius. Shino overheard Sasuke tell me, and Ino knew too. In fact, she's the one who told Sasuke."

"W-what? Why w-would she…"

"Ino may be our friend, but she's also a major fangirl. She's second only to Sakura. She'd do almost anything to be with him," Hinata said with a sigh. She really wasn't happy with Ino. First she tells Sasuke Naruto's secret, despite knowing that Sasuke never liked Naruto, then she says we need to be afraid of him for something he never had a choice in? No, she definitely wasn't gonna be speaking with her for awhile. "Don't worry, if they are your true friends, they won't care either. Besides, you'll always have me."

"T-thanks Hinata." Naruto said with a small smile. ' _Maybe it won't be so bad.'_

"So, any other surprises for me? I mean it can't be bigger than the Nine-Tails, right?" Hinata asked.

"Um, t-there is this one," Naruto said, tapping his index fingers together. "B-but Lord Third told me n-not to tell anyone."

"Oh, now you soooo gotta tell me now!" Hinata said leaning closer.

The boy started to blush deep red. "Um, w-why d-don't I t-tell you another t-time, o-ok?" Hinata pouted but agreed. Enough of Naruto's secrets were revealed for today. She'd get it out of him one day. A devious smile crept to her face as she thought of how to extract the info, which creeped Naruto out. "Um, t-there is one thing, b-but you can't tell s-sensei, or t-the Hokage,"

"Ooh, a secret just for me. Don't I feel special," Hinata teased. "Lay it on me."

"Um, well, w-when we were on the bridge…"

"I already know the truth about what happened while I was unconscious. Haku told me."

"Oh, well, a-after that, I sorta m-met the fox."

Hinata looked at him in shock. "You met the fox? Really? How big was he? What did he look like? Did he really have nine tails? Did you speak to him?"

"Y-yeah, h-he told me he d-didn't like me, but h-he'd keep me alive, b-because of w-what would happen to him."

"He better not let anything happen to you! Hear that fox! If anything happens to my Naruto, I'll find you and kick your ass!"

" **Ooh, I'm so scared!"** the Nine-Tails remarked sarcastically in Naruto's head. " **Hmph, you humans sure like talking big."**

Hinata noticed Naruto winced and asked what's the matter. "Um, h-he's um, in my head too," he answered nervously.

To his surprise, Hinata didn't seem fazed. "So, you've a killer fox talking in your head. Must be troublesome." Hinata frowned, which worried Naruto until she said, "Gah, now I sound like Shikamaru!" See looked at the clock. "Oh crude, look at the time! I gotta get home for dinner!"

As Hinata made her way to the door, Naruto asked, "S-so you r-really don't m-mind? A-about the fox?"

Hinata stopped before the door, walked over to Naruto, and did something unexpected. She kissed his cheek and whispered, "Believe it." before running out the door and shutting it. Hinata leaned back against the door, face all red. ' _I can't believe I did that!'_ she thought. Then she heard thud from inside. ' _Guess he couldn't believe it either.'_ As she raced home, she thought about the young jinchuriki and what Haku told her. ' _I need to get stronger, so what happened to you on the bridge never happens again! No matter what, I'll protect you, even from the fox inside you. Because you're precious to me too.'  
_ -

Shino: I didn't have that many lines.

Alpha: You are impossible to please. You know that, right.

Shino: I wish to stand out.

Alpha: You do stand out. You're not a nameless character.

Shino: People keep forgetting my name.

Naruto: I hadn't seen you in over two years! And most of you was covered! Excuse me if you weren't easy to recognize!

Alpha: He's got you there. Plus, you know he's not the most observant person.

Shino: True.

Naruto: Hey!

Alpha:Anyway, now that that's out of the way, I can get to the meeting with the Sand Siblings and some drama for the exams.


	14. Chapter 13 The Upcoming Event

A/N: Next chapter here. The secret is out, how will Naruto's friend act now?

Chapter 13: The Upcoming Event

The Hokage learned about what Sasuke, Ino, Shino, Shikamaru, Haku, and Hinata did from the ANBU that were watching over the ice user. The Third Hokage was not happy that they violated his law. However, because they were children and most of them did not know the penalty of the law they broke, he let them off easy. For the next month, they'd have to do D-rank missions with no pay, both with their team and a specific tasks he assigned them to, except Haku since he wasn't a genin. His stay at the academy was extended to an entire year and he had to work as Iruka's assistant after class for the first two months. Hinata had to do all the babysitting jobs, Ino got working as a farmhand, Sasuke had dish washing, Shino got dog walking, and Shikamaru got housework. Oh, and all of them had to take turns catching Tora, alone, even Haku. Kiba and Choji were sworn to secrecy by the Hokage and their respective senseis.

During the month, Hinata did not speak to Ino at all. She was still mad that Ino revealed Naruto's secret to Sasuke and then acted nervous around him, like she was afraid he would lash out unexpectedly. It hurt Naruto that Ino would think such a thing and Hinata could tell, which only made her madder. Ino got depressed by Hinata's actions. She felt like it was a repeat of what happened between her and Sakura, their friendship ending over a guy. She also got a lecture from her father about the importance of keeping classified information classified. He was very disappointed in her and cut her allowance drastically.

Shino and Shikamaru didn't act too differently. In the moments they hung out, which was rare due to all the D-rank missions they did as their punishment as well as their normal schedules, they would all just look at the clouds, mention a few things, then just enjoy their time until something came up.

Haku accepted his punishment. Kurenai had warned him of what would happen should he reveal what he knew. So he knew he got off easy. It wasn't like he planned to anyway, but if Naruto's friends were to truly understand Naruto's predicament, they needed to know all the facts. So if she had to spend more time at the academy and work after school, so be it. Haku also struggled with his sexuality. He blushed around cute guys, yet was attracted to pretty ladies, especially the ramen girl at Ichiraku.

Choji avoid Naruto in the beginning, not knowing what to think about the whole thing. It not that relied on Shikamaru for everything, but whenever he felt lost, he'd consent with his best friend. However, Shikamaru refused to tell Choji what to do, claiming he had to figure things out for himself. The Akimichi's folks agreed with that. Eventually, he chose to continue hanging out with Naruto, if only to see how he felt being around the boy. It was awkward. Both were nervous as they waited for their ramen. Choji didn't know what to think and Naruto was worried about what the pleasantly plump genin thought of him. The blond's nerves calmed down when Teuchi served his ramen. He dug in, quickly finishing and asking for more. Choji chuckled and did the same. It ended with an eating contest that Naruto won by one bowl. Guess their mutual love of food, or ramen in Naruto's case, rekindled their bonds of friendship. (I really don't get it, but I can see this happening.) Teuchi and Ayame were glad they had sent for a D-rank mission for dish duty, much to the disdain of a certain Uchiha.

Speaking of which, Sasuke was not happy with the results of his actions. Sure, some of Naruto's friendships grew unstable, but it seems all he did was strengthen the bonds of the one friendship he cared about, between the blond and Hinata. Sasuke constantly cursed his luck whenever he washed dishes, especially at Ichiraku after one of Naruto's binge eatings.

Hiashi had mixed feelings. While the part of him that care for Minato's son was proud of Hinata, the clan head in him, which was dominant most of the time, was angry that she did not request her's or the boy's transfer and in fact was closer to him than ever. He worked her hard, but apparently she managed to keep up within acceptable levels. It was as though she had more motivation than ever before. Hiashi wonder if this was related to Naruto. She had grown even more protective of him, even around their friends.

When she wasn't with Naruto or doing D-rank missions, she was training. With her father, she worked on her clan's taijutsu. With Kurenai, she work on chakra control and increasing her reserves. She would protect him and herself, so he wouldn't have to rely on the fox's power and lose himself in the process.

The young Uzumaki was unaware of the punishments

Kiba consulted his mother about Naruto. She admitted to knowing about Naruto's condition and that she didn't mind as long as he kept the fox under control. Even when Kiba brought up the incident at the bridge, she remained adamant that Naruto was not a threat to him or the village, so long as no one made him one. "He has more reason to hate us and yet he still protect us. I honestly don't think I could do it."

"But mom, how can you not think he's dangerous?" Kiba had asked.

Tsume flicked her son's head. "Of course I think he's dangerous, young pup. All shinobi worth their headbands are dangerous, you included. The only question is who they're dangerous to."

"And how do I know he's not dangerous to me?"

"Because he thinks of you as his best friend," Tsume answered.

"I'm not his best friend," Kiba argued. "Hinata is."

"No, Hinata is his mate," Tsume corrected. "Or at least will be. It's different between those two. You'll understand when you find yours." Still, even after his talk with his mother, Kiba couldn't help but be wary around the blond.

Kurenai shook her head at her students' development. While their individual skills still progressed, their teamwork suffered. Kiba was unable to fully look past the fox inside Naruto, which Hinata did not tolerate. She started to doubt the idea of entering them in the upcoming Chunin Exams, even if it was just for the experience. Even a simple C-rank mission, one that actually stayed C-rank, didn't seem like a good idea at the time. However, a client, a farmer, asked for them personally. Apparently, she visited the Land of Waves and heard all about Team 8. Their mission was to locate the den of a wolves and deal with the wolves attacking her livestock. So the Hokage assigned the task to them and Kurenai reluctantly agreed.

The farm wasn't very far away, about a day's walk away. It was mostly done in silence, with Kiba keeping a distance from Naruto, which saddened him greatly, and Hinata sticking close to the jinchūriki, at one point glaring at Kiba. Kurenai watched and figured something had to be done, and soon. Otherwise, it was the end of Team 8.

They arrived at the farm and got to work. Kurenai stayed back to guard the farm. Kiba lead his teammates with Akamaru by his side, the pup using his nose to lead them to the wolves. The young Inuzuka would look back every so often, as if expecting an attack from behind. Akamaru noticed and barked at his partner. "I know I'm being paranoid, but I can't help it. What if Naruto goes fox crazy again?" Akamaru looked back at Naruto and replied. "What do you mean you're not worried? You felt that chakra too. And I know you're as scared of it as I am." Akamaru barked some more. "I know what Haku said, but still, who knows? He might get angry more frequently." Akamaru sent Kiba a questioning gaze and barked a question. "Ok, yes, I've never seen Naruto get angry before, but I also never seen Hinata act so girly either, and yet how many times have we caught her blushing and giggling like a schoolgirl around Naruto since we graduated?" Akamaru gave him that. "All I'm saying is, Ino was right, we should at least be careful." Akamaru whimpered, but ended the conversation there.

They reached the wolf den and spotted a the wolves. There were about a dozen of them with light brown fur. "We need to find the alpha of the pack," Kiba said as the wolves growled at the intruders. "If we drive him away, the rest of the pack should follow."

"And how are we supposed to know who's the alpha?" Hinata asked.

"He's usually the biggest, strongest-looking one." Kiba looked around and spotted a large wolf to the right. "That one!" The moment he shouted that, the wolf pounced, but Kiba easily dodged and counter with a punch, sending the big wolf flying back. "Too easy."

Just then, Naruto push Kiba down. Kiba thought he gone fox crazy, until Naruto hissed in pain as another wolf clawed his back. It was slightly smaller than the one Kiba hit, but the other wolves seemed to back away at it's presence, even the bigger one. It was then clear to Kiba that this was the alpha. The other one, probably the beta, drew his attention while the alpha snuck behind him to strike. But Naruto saw this and saved Kiba by pushing him out of the way, and taking a scrap for him. "Y-you oka… Ahhhh!" Naruto was interrupted when the alpha bit his right leg.

Kiba was speechless for a moment. He had pushed Naruto away for an entire month, in fear of the fox demon inside him, which no doubt hurt him, and yet with no hesitation he push him out of harm's way, taking a hit for him. Kiba felt guilty of his action. He was about to make the alpha release it's grip on Naruto, but was beaten to the punch when Hinata palm struck the beast. The wolves got ready to retaliate, but were halted by the look on her face, her Byakugan active. It was clear she did not like what the wolves did to her Naruto. In fact, the sight of Naruto's blood pissed her off. Every time she saw it flow out of his body, even from a minor wound like a cut, she remember how she found him. They could feel her anger and did the only smart thing, they hightailed it outta there. Once they were out of sight Hinata's face changed from rage to concern as her eye returned to normal and she ran to Naruto, pulling out her clan's special ointment.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Hinata asked as she puts some on the scraps on his back.

"Y-yeah. Um, H-Hinata, y-you don't need t-to use that. Fox healing, r-remember?" Naruto said.

Hinata paused. "Huh? Oh right, well, a little extra help won't hurt," Hinata said as she moved to apply it to his leg.

Naruto's protest that he didn't need it and she should save it for her and Kiba. The Inuzuka could never get use to Hinata's treatment of Naruto. Naruto hold the scariest, most powerful demon in the world and how does she react when she finds out? She becomes even more protective of him!

' _I will never understand that girl,'_ Kiba thought. Naruto's wounds healed quickly thank to the combined power of the fox and Hinata's cream. As they walked back to their sensei, Kiba got closer to Naruto. "H-hey, Naruto?" The blond turn to him, as did Hinata. "I'm… I'm sorry I've been, err, distant this past month."

"I-it fine," Naruto said. "I c-can't really b-blame you."

"But you should. Look, I'm not gonna lie, the fact that you've got the Nine-Tails in you freaked me out, still freaks me out. But you've had this since birth, and nothing happened. Heck, I never would have guess you had it in you. I should've trusted you more when I learned of it. And for that, I'm sorry."

"Does that mean you're done acting all wary?" Hinata asked. She wanted to hear him say he was.

"Well, mostly," Kiba admitted. "Look, I can't help but worry about the fox inside you. Heck, my uncle use to tell me about that night and what it did to the village. But I'll do my best to put it in the back of my mind," he put his arm over Naruto's shoulders, "pal."

Naruto had a small smile. Kiba finally accept that he had the fox but was still him. He wasn't bothered by Kiba's lingering fear. True be told, he was afraid himself. Hinata decided to accept Kiba's apology and personally, was glad he came to his senses.

Kurenai looked toward her team as they returned. They were smiling and Kiba had his arm around Naruto. It appeared her team was back to the shape it was before the secret was revealed. It brought a smile to her face and the team returned to the village. After delivering their report and getting paid, Kiba said, "Hey, Naruto has a little business with you, Lord Hokage."

The Hokage raised his eyebrow as Naruto looked at Kiba confused. Hinata did the same until she saw the sparkle in his eye. "Oh, yeah, he does, remember?" She nudged his shoulder and whispered, "Our bet."

Naruto turned red. The prank he and Kiba devised. He had tried putting it off, but there was no doing so anymore. "Um, w-wait for me outside?" Hinata frowned, wanting to know what he was gonna do, but Kiba understood and took Hinata out. Kurenai was wondering what was going on, but figured if it was something important, she'd find out later. She walked out, in a hurry to meet with Anko for dango.

As everyone except Naruto and the Hokage exited the office, Hiruzen asked, "So, what was it you wanted off me?"

Naruto looked down. "S-sorry sir." The Hokage wondered what he meant when Naruto made a handsign.

Outside, Hinata tried to use her Byakugan to see what was going on, but found she could not. The office was designed to keep away prying eyes, even if said eyes were the Byakugan. The door opened and Naruto walked out, fully red. "Soooo, what happened?" Hinata asked.

"Oh, um, t-that's a s-secret, r-right Kiba?" Naruto stuttered. Kiba nodded and Hinata pouted.

"Fine, be that way. But I will find out one day. So, let's head over for lunch." Hinata said, grabbing the blond's arm.

"Sorry, no can do." Hinata glared and was about to say something when Kiba quickly added, "Mom's already making lunch for me! I told her I'd be back around this time and if I'm not there she'll rip me a new one!"

"Oh, my bad. Hee hee." Hinata said as she rubbed the back of her head. Kiba let it go and rushed home to avoid his mother's wrath. "So, where do you wanna… Oh right, Ichiraku's, of course." Naruto blushed but nodded and the two of them went for lunch, followed by a figure in the shadows.  
-

"Um, Hinata…"

"Yeah, I know," she said with a sigh. They had been followed since the Hokage's office. "The jig is up Konohamaru!" she shouted.

Behind them, three kids threw off a rectangular box made to look like a rock. "Aw man, you caught us again, Boss Lady." The one who spoke, dubbed Konohamaru, had spiky brown hair sticking up and black eyes. He wore a blue scarf, a yellow shirt with the Leaf symbol in red, and grey shorts. Naruto recognized him from a picture in the Hokage's office. He was the Third's grandson. Next to him were two other children, a boy and a girl. The boy had short brown hair, dark eyes, glasses, and a runny nose. He wore a blue zip up shirt and brown pants. The girl had orange hair tied in large pigtails, face marks that made her look like she was blushing, and dark eyes as well. She wore a pink shirt under a red tank top, as well as grey pants. "You must have used those eyes of yours.

"Not really. You need to work on your disguises if you wanna sneak up on me." She gestured to their disguise. "You've definitely gotten better, but I mean, a perfectly rectangular rock?"

"Just you wait, boss! First I'll sneak up on you, then I'll beat you. Then one day, I'll be Hokage!" Konohamaru shouted. "Right Moegi, Udon?"

"Right!" the girl, Moegi, replied.

"What she said," Udon said.

Hinata quickly learned toward the blond when she saw the look of realization on his face. "Whatever you do, don't call him Honorable Grandson. He hates it." Turning toward the young Sarutobi, she said, "Well, you're gonna have some competition, cause Naruto here says he's gonna be Hokage! Right Naruto?" Naruto got nervous and tapped his index fingers, but nodded.

"Him, really?" Konohamaru said in disbelief. "I mean, he did have that cool jutsu that knocked out my gramps, but other than that…"

Hinata looked at Naruto, who was blushing red at the memory, in shock. "Oh, now you sooooo gotta tell me what you did now!"

Before Naruto could react, Konohamaru started to speak. "Oh I saw the whole thing. When he thought he and the Hokage were alone, he apologised and then…" Naruto panicked and quickly darted toward him and covered the boy's mouth with his hand in an attempt to shut him up. But Konohamaru wasn't having it as he licked the Uzumaki's hand. But Naruto didn't move it, though he was disgusted and annoyed. Kono went with plan B and bit his palm. Naruto released Konohamaru, who quickly said, "And he turned into a girl!"

Naruto turned red with embarrassment while Hinata looked confused. "Um, ok?" It was weird, but she wasn't sure how that could knock out the old man.

Naruto almost sighed with relief until Kono added, "Did I mention he, or rather she, was naked."  
-

The Hokage was lying on the floor, blood flowing out of his nose, constantly muttering about a pretty, naked blond. When he finally recover, he was thankful no one had been around to see him in such a state as he rushed to the meeting he was late for.  
-

At that moment, Naruto felt like dying of embarrassment and could not meet Hinata's shocked gaze, her jaw practically hitting the ground. ' _Naruto did that!'_ she thought. Recovering from her shock, she said, in a suspiciously sweet voice, "Naaaruuuutooooo." Said boy stiffened upon hearing his voice said in that manner. "Is this true?" Despite the tone of voice, Naruto could hear the unspoken threat that he dare not lie. All he could do was nod. ' _I can't believe Naruto would do something so… so… perverted!'_ "And why did you do that?"

Naruto could tell he was in hot water now. "I… I… W-well, y-you see, um, I t-told Kiba I s-saw Lord T-Third w-with a book l-like K-Kakashi-sensei's. W-when we a-asked and f-found o-out i-it was p-perverted, K-Kiba suggested t-this. I swear, w-we didn't s-spy on a-anyone!" Naruto insisted. "T-Tazuna h-had a b-bunch of m-magazines in his r-room."

' _So it was Kiba's idea. Dogboy's gonna get his, but as for Naruto…'_ She may have strong feelings for the boy, but there was no way she wasn't gonna discipline him for this. She walk over to him and pinched his left ear. Naruto winced, but didn't resist or complain. "First, we are gonna head to the bakery instead and you are gonna pay my food. Then, we are going to your place." She was gonna use her eyes to scan every corner of the place for any inappropriate material he may have.

Now, Konohamaru was young and while he had heard getting a girl to your place alone was a major thing, he had enough of his childish innocence not to know what that meant. Still, he decided to open his mouth. "Hey, nice work Naruto! You got the Boss Lady to your place." He gave the blond two thumbs up.

Both genin blushed deep red at the unintentional innuendo. Naruto felt like fainting right then and there while Hinata released her grip on his ear and turned her gaze on the Honorable Grandson. "Konohamaru Sarutobi!" Hinata shouted. Every instinct in the boy's body told him to run, and he wisely obliged as he was quickly chased by the red Hyūga. Moegi, Udon, and Naruto followed behind to make sure she didn't hurt him too badly.

Konohamaru ran as fast as his legs could carry him to avoid the world of pain that was closing in on him. He quickly cut corners trying to lose the girl chasing him. However, after one cutting one such corner, he instant ran into something, or rather, someone. He had on what looked like a black cat suit based on the hood and triangular, purple face paint. On the center of the suit was a circle with a red half and yellow half, outlined in white. On his back was something all wrapped in bandages. On his forehead was a protector with a symbol similar to an i. "There something you need, brat?" the guy asked before grabbing Kono by his scarf. "Oh, I'm sorry. Does that hurt?" he asked with obviously fake concern.

"Put him down, Kankuro, or you'll pay for it later," said the girl behind him. She had blond hair in four spiky ponytails and teal eyes. She wore a light purple garment and mesh armor under it. It was tied at the waist with a red sash. On her back was a large closed fan and on her neck was a protector with the same symbol.

"Come on, Temari. He won't be here for a while, let's have some fun while we wait." Konohamaru struggled, kicking Kankuro with his feet, but it had no effect. "Oh, a lively one eh? Not for long."

"Oi! Let him go! I'm not gonna let some weird-looking punk mess with him!" Hinata demanded. Konohamaru looked at her, glad she came to the rescue. "Besides, I have unfinished business." Konohamaru started sweating and wondered who he was better off with, the mysterious guy threatening him, or the angry Hyūga girl.

"Who you calling weird-looking girl?" Kankuro shouted.

"You, Catboy, who else?" The others barely suppressed their laughter to giggles. Even Temari couldn't help but snicker, especially since she thought the same.

Kankuro was fuming now. "Runts like you really annoy me. First, I'm gonna take care of this punk, then I'll deal with the rest of you." Temari sighed. _He_ was not gonna be happy when he got back. Before Hinata could do anything to stop Kankuro, a rock hit him in the hand, dropping the Third's grandson.

Everyone looked to a tree and saw Sasuke sitting there, tossing a small stone in his hand. "Foreign ninja making trouble in another ninja village? What, are you unique or are all your ninja that stupid?"

Temari had a small blush. ' _Not bad. Easy on the eyes, that's for sure.'_ Moegi and Udon looked at him in amazement, the girl with hearts in her eyes. Hinata rolled her eyes and Naruto got even more nervous.

"Great, another wimp. You pop up like cockroaches in this village," Kankuro said.

"Leave now," Sasuke said as he crushed the stone in his hand.

"Why don't you come down here?" Kankuro said as he grabbed the item on his back. "Snots like you are the ones I hate the most. All attitude with nothing to back it up."

' _Something we can agree on,'_ Hinata thought.

Temari's eyes widened. "Hey Kankuro! You're not thinking of using Crow, are you? What about the plan?"

"Kankuro, back off," a cold voice said.

Everyone jumped, especially Sasuke since the newcomer was hanging upside-down from the same tree as him. ' _How'd he get there without me noticing? Only jonin like Kakashi-sensei can move that quietly.'_

"Oh, h-hey Gaara," Kankuro said, sweating bullets, which did not go unnoticed by anyone.

The boy, Gaara, had red spiky hair and green eyes with dark rings around them. On his forehead above his left eye was the kanji for love in red. He had a black short sleeve bodysuit with a white clothe going from his right shoulder to his left hip. A leather band going from his left shoulder to right hip held a gourd on his back. "You are an embarrassment to our village. Have you forgotten why we're here?"

"I, I know Gaara b-but they started it. T-they challenged us. You see, what happened is…"

"Shut up," Gaara said, "or I'll kill you." Kankuro did so, sweating even more under Gaara's icy gaze. "I'm sorry for my brother's actions." He turned toward the Uchiha, whose gaze never left him. They looked each other in the eye.

' _This guy has an evil look in his eye. I think he may actually prove to be a challenge.'_

' _He easily stopped Kankuro with a pebble. This guy may prove to be interesting.'_ Gaara turned to sand and joined his siblings, reforming on the ground. "Let's go," he said.

Hinata stopped them by shouting "Hey, what are you three Sand shinobi doing here anyway?"

Temari turned to her. "Seriously? You don't know what's going on? We're here for the Chunin Exams."

"Huh, it's that time already?" she asked. Naruto looked curious and Sasuke was intrigued.

The Sand genin started leave when Sasuke jumped down. "Hey, identify yourself."

Temari turned around. "Who me?" she said with a blush.

"No, the guy with the gourd," Sasuke said.

"I am Gaara of the desert," he answered. "And you?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"You have peak my interest as well, Sasuke. In fact, you're the only one who looks like they could be a challenge."

Hinata shook her head. ' _Fan his ego more why don't you? I'll show you.'_

But inside Naruto was a different story. The Nine-Tailed Fox banged against his cage, shouting in Naruto's head. " **DAMN YOU SHUKAKU! YOU KNOW I'M IN HERE! DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE ME! LET ME OUT BOY! LET ME OUT SO I CAN TEAR THAT ONE TAILED TANUKI APART!"** Naruto held his head and the headache he was giving him intensified. Hinata rushed to him in concern, asking what was wrong.

' _N-Nine-Tails, please. It hurts.'_

The demon heard his pleas. While he did not care if his host was in pain, he decided he was wasting his time with his tantrum. " **Listen to me boy. Stay away from that Gaara kid for the moment. He is like you, holding my brother, the One-Tail Shukaku."** Naruto gasped, which Hinata noticed. " **But unlike you, it looks like he's more susceptible to that tanuki's power. He could turn at any moment and you are not strong enough. And there is no way my host will lose to the host of an inferior tailed beast!"**

Hinata demanded to know what was wrong, but Naruto looked at the kids and she got the message. It was fox related and he couldn't say around them. The Sand genin had left, and so had Sasuke. "Hey Boss. You consider dating that Sasuke guy?"

Hinata looked at him in shock. "It'll be a cold day in Hell before I even consider ever doing such of thing!"

"Geez, I was just asking."

"Well, I answered. One day, I'll tell you kids what kind of person Sasuke Uchiha really is. But right now, I'm busy and can't play." The kids looked depressed before Hinata suggested they practice their skills with a little pranking. Konohamaru perked up and led his friends away on the hunt for a victim. In the Hokage's office during the announcement of the Chunin Exams, Iruka shivered and wondered what that was about.

"So, um, I'm j-just gonna p-pick up Y-Yuki from Hana a-and…"

"Oh no," she said, pinching his ear again. "You're not getting away. You still need to be punished. We're going to the bakery. Maybe I'll see if I can beat my record for most cinnamon buns in one sitting."

As she dragged him away by the ear, Naruto had a thought. ' _H-hey fox?'_

" **What do you want?"** he asked, annoyed.

' _Y-you c-called the One-Tail Shukaku, r-right?'_

" **Yes, that's his name."**

' _S-so what's yours? Y-your name I m-mean?'_

' _ **Is he serious?'**_ None of his other vessels cared to ask his name. It almost made him want to tell him, however… " **You haven't earned the right to know my name."** ' ** _He may be unusual, but he's still a human, and they're all the same.'  
_** -

"I lead Team 7, Shino Aburame, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha. These three I, Kakashi Hatake, recommend to take the Chunin Exams." Whispers spread about. It wasn't often rookies were nominated. Most waited at least a year before entering.

"I lead Team 8, Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, Naruto Uzumaki. These three I, Kurenai Yūhi, recommend to take the Chunin Exams." More whispers spread about six rookies being nominated, the only thing weirder would be if…

"I lead Team 10, Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka. These three I, Asuma Sarutobi, recommend to take the Chunin Exams." All the other jonin were shocked, as well as the chunin instructor in the room. It has been many years since all the rookie of a year were entered in the exams. However, the Hokage couldn't help but smirk, as if he had been expecting this, though no one noticed.

"Hold on a minute!" Iruka said. "I don't think they're ready yet. I was their academy instructor, so I know they are all skilled, but it's too soon. I mean, they've only been genin for little over two months and the exams are dangerous. Even much more experienced genin have trouble with them and some have died."

"I became a chunin when I was six years younger than these kids," Kakashi argued.

"They aren't you Kakashi! Kurenai, why? You know Naruto isn't ready for the exams. It's not a question of ability, but of his self-esteem."

"I see your point Iruka," Kurenai told him. "And I considered it. In the end, I decided to give him a chance. And if his confidence is truly a problem as you say, then he'll refuse. If nothing else, it'll show him that I have faith in him, which I do."

"But…"

"Iruka," the Hokage said, "We all see your point and reasoning. That is why I am preparing a special test.  
-

"S-so, how d-d o you k-know Konohamaru?" Naruto asked. It was strange how he'd been friends with Hinata all this time yet never met them before.

"He tried to defeat his grandpa while me and Father were in a meeting with him." Hinata answered as she finished her twelfth cinnamon roll and started on the next one. "The Hokage asked me to keep an eye on him. Everywhere we went, people called him Honorable Grandson and I could tell it bothered him. I understood, being the Hyūga heiress people use to see me as just that, my father's daughter, not Hinata Hyūga. Anyway, he and I decided to pull a few pranks and well, he kinda started looking up to me. Even stopped ambushing his old man and started focusing on training, though he was disappointed when I told him he couldn't learn my moves. After all, they are Hyūga Clan techniques." Hinata leaned over to him. "So," she whispered, "what'd the grumpy old fox have to say?"  
-

"Lord Hiashi," One of the elder started, "something has been brought to our attention. Something we must discuss with you."  
-

Alpha: Another chapter posted, and more reviews. I love reviews. It's nice to hear everyone's feedback on my work, good or bad. Though I admit I'm kinda partial to the good ones.

Naruto: So, what now?

Alpha: Now we enjoy an omake I made. Remember the chapter where Kakashi doubted you ramen appetite?

Naruto: This is gonna be sweet!

Kakashi: I remember when I really did make that mistake once. Just once.

Asuma: I made the same mistake of telling Choji he could eat all he could on me.

Kurenai: And me with Hinata and cinnamon rolls. (All three sigh at the memories)  
-

Omake: Ramen Binge With Kakashi

Kakashi sat at Ichiraku Ramen with Naruto, Kurenai, Iruka, and Hinata. "So, I just have to pay for Naruto's meal and you three will pay for mine?" The three ninjas nodded. ' _Ha, I think I just scored a great meal. I'll be sure to eat as much as I can.'_

"Um, K-Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked nervously. "A-are you s-sure you want m-me to eat a-as much as I c-can?" He remember the looks on the both Iruka and Kurenai' faces when they did this.

"Oh, don't worry Naruto. Eat to your heart's content." Kurenai and Iruka looked at each other and snickered. They told him the same thing the first time they paid for his meal.

"You heard Kakashi-sensei," Hinata said as she rested a hand on his right shoulder. She was seated to his right with Kakashi to his left, then Kurenai and next to her, Iruka. "Eat all you can. Maybe even break your old record."

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Ayame and Teuchi were getting things ready. "So, it appears Naruto has found another sucker," the old ramen chief said.

"Yeah, I almost feel bad for him," Ayame remarked.

"Me too," Teuchi admitted. "But then I think of the profits and the guilt goes away." The two of them laughed. "So, you put in that D-rank mission?"

"Yep! He should be here soon."

Ayame took their orders and after a while, Kakashi and Naruto both got their first bowl at the same time. As time passed, Kakashi finished his eight bowl, sighing in content. ' _Well, I guess Naruto should be done soon.'_ But the moment he turned, his visible eye widened. Naruto had a pile of bowl near him, and upon closer inspection, none of them had a trace of ramen on them, not one single noodle or drop of brothe! And the blond genin wasn't done yet! As the pile got bigger, Kakashi could feel his wallet deflating. When he was finally done, the total count was 33 bowls of ramen. ' _He is as bad as Anko!'_

Naruto saw the looked on Kakashi's face, which Hinata took a picture of to add to her collection, and blushed in embarrassment. "Um,s-sorry." The others just laughed, including Teuchi and Ayame, as Kakashi banged his head on the table, feeling tricked even though he remembered they did warn him.

Kakashi wasn't the only victim that day. Behind the counters in the kitchen, the young Uchiha was cleaning all the dishes, and because of his punishment, he wasn't even getting paid! ' _DAMN YOU NARUTO!'  
_ -

Alpha: Boy, I'd hate be in their shoes. Oh and for those who saw the ramen challenge omake at the end of one Naruto Shippuden episode, 90 I think, it was ninety-something, I remember that much, I know he ate only 30 bowls, but I decided to make him eat more.


	15. Chapter 14 The Exams Start

A/N: The Chunin Exams are beginning! I surprised myself. Yesterday, I post the next chapter of Sound and then had nothing, and about 24 hours later, I finished and have this. Anyway, remember to review. Your opinions and feedback are important to me!

Chapter 14: The Exams Start

"Yes! Thank you Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata shouted as her sensei handed her the application for the Chunin Exams. They were at their normal training grounds, but it seemed Kiba was running late.

Next to Kurenai was her best friend Anko. Anko had violet hair tied in a spiky ponytail and light brown eyes. She wore mesh armor that cover from her neck to her thighs, a tan overcoat that was purple inside, an orange mini-skirt, a dark blue belt, grey shin guards, and a pendant around her neck that looked similar to a snake fang. Kurenai had dragged her over so she could meet her team. At the moment, Anko was not impressed. She wasn't a big fan of the Hyūga since they believed they were superior to everyone, the boy was really shy, and one of them was running incredibly late.

Naruto, with Yuki in his jacket, took his application, but was hesitant. ' _Sasuke's gonna be in it. And so will Gaara. I'm not sure I can do this. I'll probably drag Hinata and Kiba down.'_

Hinata noticed her friend's downcast face and wrapped her arm around him. "Don't worry, the two of us are gonna rock this exam!"

"W-what if I h-have to face S-Sasuke?"

"Then you kick his arrogant ass into the ground!"

Anko looked at the girl in shock, then smirked. ' _Huh, so this one's not like the rest of her clan? I heard the rumors, but never believed them. Glad she takes after her mother instead of her father.'_

"Just remember," Kurenai started, "the purpose of the exam is to see if you have the necessary qualities of a chunin, not to beat everyone. I don't recommend any unnecessary fighting."

"Hey!" Kiba shouted as he arrived, Akamaru close behind. "Sorry, alarm didn't go off. Overslept. What'd I miss?" Kurenai handed him his application and explained that she recommended them for the Chunin Exams. "Yeah, hear that Akamaru? We're gonna be chunin!" Akamaru barked happily.

"Hold it!" Kurenai said, raising her hand. "While I believe the three of you are truly skilled, you're competition will be genin with a lot more experience and training from the different hidden villages, so there's a good chance none of you will be chunin. But this will be good experience for the three of you. And even if you don't make chunin, there's no doubt all of you will come out stronger than before and you'll have a better idea of what it means to be a shinobi."

"She's right brats." Anko added. "Each test is designed to separate the weak from the strong, both in body and mind. If you takes these exams easy, it'll chew you up, and you might not get spit out, depending on how tasty you are."

"An… interesting way of putting it, but she's right. Genin deaths are not uncommon." Naruto gulped. "But if you aren't prepared to risk your life, you have no right to be a chunin. But if you feel you aren't ready, you can always back out, the choice is yours."

Kurenai started to leave with Anko when Naruto called out, "U-um, s-sensei?" She turned toward him. "Um, c-can we have a m-mission?"

"Need the money?" Kurenai asked.

"Dude, we finished a C-rank mission yesterday. Why are you in need of money now? Did you go on one of your ramen binges?" Kiba asked.

"Actually, he paid for my lunch as punishment for his jutsu. Speaking which…" Hinata grabbed Kiba in a headlock. "Why'd you have Naruto make that kind of jutsu as a prank?" Kurenai and Anko looked puzzled, wondering what was going on. What jutsu?

"Hey! You wanted me to help him, I did! You should have told me it couldn't be something like that!" Kiba defended as he struggled to get out of the headlock.

"Hinata, release him!" Kurenai ordered. She did. "Good, now explain. What's this jutsu that's got you bothered?"

"Naruto, show her." Hinata said. While she was not happy with the nature of the jutsu, she was curious what a female Naruto looked like.

Naruto shook his head, but Kurenai said she wanted to see. Red with embarrassment, he formed the handsign and softly muttered, "Sexy Jutsu."

A puff of smoke covered him. Most of it dispersed to reveal a blond girl with pigtails and whisker marks on her cheeks. Kurenai, Hinata, and Anko looked in shock as they noticed she wasn't wearing anything. The lingering smoke barely cover her in all the necessary places. Naruko quickly ended the jutsu, turning back to a fully dressed and completely red with embarrassment Naruto. "Wow, the end result was better than I expected," Kiba commented, wiping a small trickle of blood from his nose.

Anko started laughing, grabbing her sides. Kurenai turned to Hinata. "Ok, I understand why that bothers you."

"Already punished Naruto. Broke my cinnamon bun record too." Hinata said proudly.

' _That explains his lack of money,'_ Kurenai thought. ' _She definitely inherited that from her mother.'_

"Then I dragged him to his place." Hinata finished, glad she didn't find what she was looking for.

Anko heard her and a wicked smile formed on her face. "Really? How kinky. Kurenai told me you two were close, but…"

Hinata blushed red at what Anko was insinuating. Kurenai looked at her student in shock, Kiba and Anko started laughing, and Naruto fainted. "Wha… No! I-it's not like that! I was just checking for anything perverted! We haven't done anything like that!"

"I hope not!" Kurenai said. "You two are much too young to be doing anything like that!" (Agreed)

"I gotta say Kurenai," Anko said, "you're team is a barrel of laughs!" She continued laughing as she left. ' _See you three at the exams,'_

As Akamaru and Yuki revived Naruto, Hinata turned to her other teammate. "You know what, Kiba? I think it's time me and your mom and sis paid a visit to your room." she said as she left for the Inuzuka compound.

"Wonder what she meant?" Kiba asked aloud.

"Y-you don't h-have anything t-to worry about, a-as long as y-you d-don't have anything, well, y-you know."

"Yeah, I guess not." Kiba said. "On a totally unrelated note, I just remembered I have something to do back home." Kiba turned and made a mad dash for his place hoping he gets there before Hinata did.

"Well, this certainly has been the most interesting team meeting we've had," Kurenai commented. Naruto nodded in agreement. "I was gonna give you guys the day off, but I suppose I could take you on a few D-rank missions. And since you're doing them alone, I'll let you use your clones." Naruto nodded and they head for the Hokage's office.  
-

Sasuke was in a good mood. His sensei had recommended him to be in the Chunin Exams. Which meant he could face that Sand shinobi Gaara. The very thought of facing him in combat sent shivers down his spine. ' _A worthy opponent to face. He'll be a great test of my skills for the day I kill Itachi!'_ He thought his day couldn't get any better. Arriving at his place, he check his mail and saw something interesting amongst all the love letters and junk mail. And when he read it, his day got a whole lot better.  
-

Naruto was spending time on his favorite swing in the academy, Yuki in his lap. Before he met Hinata, when everyone was gone, he liked play on the lone swing on the tree. It wasn't a school day, so Naruto was alone. He didn't know where everyone was and figured they were all busy, and he didn't want to impose. Looking around, he notice edges of the planks on the wooden fence didn't line up properly in three spots. "Oh, h-hey guys."

"Damn it! He caught us!" Konohamaru complained as he, Moegi and Udon threw off their disguises. "We were practicing on you so we can sneak up on big sis Hinata later. Speaking of which, do you know where she is?" Naruto shook his head. Konohamaru was about to speak when smoke covered them. They heard Mougi scream and when the smoke cleared, a ninja from the Hidden Rain was holding her. He had on a black cloak with no markings, a black mask that covered his face, and a round hat on his head. But his headband was clear on his forehead. "Let her go!" Konohamaru shouted.

He said nothing but ran off. Naruto handed Yuki to Udon and took off after the shinobi, Konohamaru and Udon right behind him. ' _Why'd he take her?'_ Naruto thought ' _It doesn't make sense. What would he hope to gain?'_

The Rain ninja made it to the woods. He looked behind to see Naruto on his tail. ' _He can keep up with me at this speed. Not bad.'_ Konohamaru and Udon got left behind, unable to keep up. The kidnapper stopped and tied Mougi to a tree, then covered her mouth with a cloth. He turned just as Naruto emerged from the woods. "That was fast, but not fast enough!" he said with a sinister laugh. (Well, more like a corny villain laugh.) "Let me explain the situation. This brat is my hostage and if you want her back unharmed, bring me the Scroll of Sealing!" Naruto looked him right in the eye and shook his head. "What? Don't you care what happens to… What the...?" He turned to Mougi, only to find a straw dummy. "When did…" He didn't finish as Naruto sent a roundhouse kick to his side. He managed to block the attack, but barely managed to lean his head back to dodge a punch from another Naruto. He jumped back, only to find himself surrounded by a dozen Narutos, all of which charged at him. For a few minutes, the Rain ninja had to dodge, block, and counter Naruto's moves, which was easier said than done, as he took a few hits. Finally, one Naruto got behind him and threw shurikens at him. They hit his back, only to find the kidnapper used a substitution to escape.

The real Naruto leaped down from the trees with Mougi and dispelled the clones. "Thank you Naruto. You saved me!"

"Mougi!" Konohamaru shouted as he burst from the treeline with Udon and the two hugged her. "You're alright!" he said relieved. "Thanks big brother Naruto!"

"B-big brother Naruto?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah! Your like big sis Hinata to us," Konohamaru explained, with his friends nodding in agreement. Naruto smiled, knowing these guys accepted him too. "And I know the two of you will do great in the exams!"  
-

It was nighttime and Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi were eating dangos when Iruka came to their table and collapsed in an empty seat. "Rough day?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka looked at them. "I got pummeled by Sasuke, nearly flattened by Choji, took some hard hits from Naruto, struck by Hinata, nearly drained of my chakra by Shino, and I took a direct hit from Kiba's tunneling fang, afterwhich Akamaru peed on me."

"Well you did insist on testing them yourself. So, are you satisfied?" Kurenai asked.

"No," Iruka answered, then sighed. "But everyone passed my test, so they can all take the exams," he mumbled.

"Iruka, I know you're worried about their safety. We all are too. But they can't say our students forever."

"I know that, I do. It's just hard seeing my students grow up. It feels like just yesterday, they just a couple of little kids behind a desk. And now they're grown, taking on the world." Iruka chuckled. "I bet this is similar to what parenthood feels like."

"My guess is, the feeling's a lot worse," Kurenai said. Iruka nodded, figuring she was right.  
-

The week passed by. All the rookie team spent that time training for the exams. Finally, the day came. Team 8 walk inside the academy. They found a bunch of applicants in front of a room labeled 301. Two other genin are preventing the other genin from enter. One pushed a genin with black bowl-shaped hair and bushy eyebrows, wearing green spandex, orange leg warmers, and his protector on a red cloth worn as a belt. "Just stop," one of the genin blocking the way said. "We're doing you all a favor. The exams are no joke!"

"Some of you won't survive and even if you do, you may end up too injured to ever be a shinobi or even go crazy. As chunin, you'll have the lives of your comrades in your hands. Can you really deal with the pressure of knowing if you screw up, it may cost you not only the mission, but the lives of your friends? It not don't waste your time!"

People started whispering to each other. Then, Sasuke and the rest of Team 7 walked up to them. "Cute speech, now if you'll excuse us. We're headed to the third floor." Some of the applicants looked confused.

' _Knew it. We only went up one flight of stairs,'_ Hinata though, her teammates thinking the same.

"And take off that pathetic genjutsu," Sasuke added. "I don't need my Sharingan to see through it." Suddenly, the sign swirled, then it said 201.

"Not bad, lets see how you handle this." One of the genin guards kick at Sasuke, the Uchiha doing the same, when a green blur moved between them and caught both kicks. It was the one who was knocked down earlier.

' _He managed to stop my kick.'_ Sasuke thought.

' _Wow, that guy's fast.'_ Naruto thought.

The two put down their legs as another genin approached the green one. Hinata recognized him as her cousin, Neji. He had long, dark brown hair tied in a loose ponytail near the end, and eye like Hinata's. He wore a tan khaki shirt, dark brown shorts, bandages on his right arm and leg, and his forehead protector on his head, two long straps dangling from the sides of his head. "Lee, have you forgotten the plan already?"

"Oh, I am sorry Neji."

He sighed. "We're suppose to be hiding our skills."

"Forget it. It's too late for him," a kunoichi said. She had brown hair in two chinese-style bun and brown eyes. She wore a pink sleeveless qipao-style blouse with red sleeve trimmings and yellow fastening buttons and dark green pants. She had a pouch on her thigh and wore her protector on her forehead. She notice Lee looking at Sakura and sighed. "Oh boy."

Lee walked over to the pink-haired kunoichi. "You are Sakura Haruno, correct?"

"Um, yeah?" Sakura said, confused.

He got down on one knee and held her hand. "Oh beautiful Sakura, my name is Rock Lee. Please be my girlfriend. I will protect you with my life! This I swear!"

Sakura pulled her hand away. "No way! You're a weirdo!"

"Weirdo?" Lee said, downcast. His teammates sighed at the interaction.

"Don't let her get you down," Hinata said, making her presense known. "She's just in her fangirl phase. Who knows, maybe one day she'll like you." Neji sent his cousin a glare, which she ignored. "I'm Hinata Hyūga! Nice to meet ya Lee!"

"Oh hey, I'm Tenten," the kunoichi said. "So your Neji's cousin? I heard you graduated this year. Who are your teammates?"

"Kiba Inuzuka, and this is my partner, Akamaru." Akamaru barked.

"Um, N-Naruto Uzumaki," he said meekly.

Neji walk past them toward Sasuke. "Your name."

"Hmm, Sasuke Uchiha."

"Ah so you the one," Neji said. Sasuke nodded as he walked off, his team following.

Tenten noticed Lee was following them. "Hey Lee, where are you going?"

"There is something I must do. Do not wait for me. Head up to the examination room."

"Geez, what's that about?" Tenten wondered aloud.

"I have no idea," Neji answered.

"I'm curious too," Hinata said. "What do you say guys? Wanna check it out?"

"S-sure."

"I got no problems as long as we make it in time for the exams," Kiba answered. They walked over to where Lee and Team 7 left. They found themselves in a big room, with Lee in front of Sasuke. It appeared he was challenging him to a fight. "Hey, maybe we can find out how strong Sasuke's gotten, and learn more about how that Lee guy fights," Kiba whispered. Hinata nodded in agreement and they snuck upstairs to watch from the platform above.

Shino walked up to his teammate. "Sasuke, to fight now would be illogical. Why, because we are running out of time. If we get there late, we'll fail before we even start."

"Which is why I'll finish this quick," Sasuke said, brushing him aside before turning to Lee. "You're a fool. If you want to see the power of the Uchiha, I'll show you the hard way!" Sasuke charged at him and threw a punch, but Lee disappeared before he could hit him.

"Leaf Hurricane!" Lee appeared next to him and kicked high. Sasuke ducked, only to find a low kick headed toward him. Unable to dodge, he put his guard up in order to block, but somehow, Lee bypassed it and sent him flying back.

' _How'd he do that? Was that ninjutsu or genjutsu?'_ Sasuke thought, "Heh, I've been waiting to use this in a fight," He closed his eyes for a sec, then opened them to reveal his Sharingan eyes.

"Crap, he has those eyes," Kiba commented softly. Hinata couldn't help but agree. She knew what the Sharingan was capable of from her studies. After all, her clan and the Uchiha were rivals after the formation of the Hidden Leaf. Naruto was curious. He didn't get a good look at Kakashi's back in the Wave, but now that he saw Sasuke's, the eyes looked very familiar.

' _ **So the Uchiha brat unlocked his eyes?'**_

"Whatever ninjutsu or genjutsu you were using before won't get past these eyes," Sasuke boasted.

' _Sasuke, you're so awesome!'_ " **Cha! No one can be my Sasuke!"** Inner Sakura shouted.

Sasuke charged, but before he knew what hit him, he was flying back again. "I-impossible!"

Hinata had her Byakugan activated. ' _I didn't see him mold any chakra. In fact, his chakra network looks rather weak.'_

"My technique is not ninjutsu or genjutsu. Only taijutsu," Lee said as he charged. Sasuke block a punch to the face only for Lee to put one in his gut. Sasuke swung at his head, but Lee dodged and elbowed his head. Everyone looked in awe as they saw the rookie of the year get beaten effortlessly. "My fighting style is straight, no tricks, no chakra, just speed, strength, and technique. Your Sharingan may be able to read my move my movements, but your body is still too slow to respond. And because of that, your eyes are useless." Sasuke growled, but Lee kept speaking. "There are two kinds of geniuses. Your kind are born with talent. You do not need to work as hard in order to become strong. And then there are one's like me. People who have to train everyday to keep up with your kind. This match was over before it started because your Sharingan is a bad match for my taijutsu."

"Should have brought some popcorn for this Sasuke beatdown," Hinata commented.

Lee kicked Sasuke up, then appeared right behind him in mid air. The bandages on his left arm started to unravel. "Hard work beats natural talent. This is the end, Uchiha."

Suddenly, a something hit the loose bandages and pinned it to the wall. It was a pinwheel. "Enough Lee!" Everyone looked to see a talking red and yellow turtle with a Leaf headband around his neck. Lee and Sasuke fell to the ground. Lee landed on his feet and Sakura caught Sasuke.

"You fool," the turtle said. "That last technique is forbidden! You know that!"

"Um, w-why's he talking to a t-turtle?" Naruto asked. His teammates shrugged their shoulders.

"A shinobi never reveals his tricks needlessly!" the turtle lectured. "It's a basic rule you should know. Are ready for your punishment?" Lee nodded. "Come on out Guy-sensei."

There was a puff of smoke on top the turtle's shell. And when the smoke cleared, Team 7 and Team had one thought. ' _There's two of them!'_

Indeed. Guy wore the same attire as Lee except he had a flak jacket, the same haircut, and if anything, his eyebrows were even bushier than Lee's. "Hey everyone! How's it hanging. So Lee, are you ready?"

"Yes Guy-sensei," Lee answered as he braced himself.

"Then here comes…" he pulled his arm back, "your punishment!" He punch his face. "You fool!" Lee when flying back while the other genin were shocked by his actions. Guy walked over to Lee. "I'm sorry, but…" his voice started cracking, "it was for your own good."

"Guy-sensei," Lee said with tears in his eyes.

"Lee," Guy said, also with tears.

"I am s-so sorry,"

"You don't need to say anymore, my student." Lee rushed and embraced his sensei, who hugged him right back. Suddenly they were on the coast in front of the setting sun. Everyone tried to dispel the genjutsu, but to no avail. The two continued to hug.

' _How the hell did I lose to a freak like him?'_

Naruto looked at them. ' _That's really weird. But it's nice that they care about each other so much.'_ He looked at the Hyūga heiress and blushed. ' _And I wouldn't mind doing that with you Hinata.'_ His thought turned to him and Hinata embracing in the sunset at the coast. Their heads got closer, the lips inching toward each other until…

"Hey Naruto? You there?" Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts by Hinata, who noticed his dazed expression. "What are ya thinking about?"

"N-nothing!" Naruto quickly said, his face completely red. Hinata shrugged and looked down.

"Alright Lee, I want you to give me 100 laps around the practice field!"

"Yes Guy-sensei!"

"Wait!" Sakura shouted. "What about the exams?"

"Oh, right. Forgot about that," Guy admitted, causing everyone to sweatdrop. "Lee, you broke the rule of no fighting. Let's make it 500 laps!" Everyone facefaulted, as Lee quickly agreed. He looked over at Team 7. ' _So, this is Kakashi's team.'_ "Hey, you're Team 7 right?" They nodded. "How is my eternal rival?"

"Should we know him?" Sakura asked.

Guy looked downcast. "Kakashi… my eternal rival… didn't tell his students about me." He recovered. "Very well. Let me tell you that your sensei, Kakashi Hatake, is my eternal rival!"

"No way!" Sakura exclaimed.

"If Guy-sensei says it's true…"

"Don't worry about it Lee. Action speaks louder than words." Everyone blinked and Guy was gone. "My record is fifty wins to his forty-nine," he said from behind Team 7 before disappearing in a blink. "You see, I'm stronger and faster than him." Team 8 jumped when they heard Guy from behind them. "You must be Kurenai's team. Nice to meet cha. You enjoy the match?"

"You guys were spying on us?" Sakura said in disbelief.

"Um, a-aren't ninja s-suppose to spy?" Naruto countered, though he sounded unsure of himself.

"Right you are young one! Shinobi are not only fighters, but infiltrators and intelligence gatherers!" Guy gave him a thumbs up while Lee wrote in a notebook he pulled out of nowhere. Guy jumped down and turned to Team 7. "I apologise for the trouble my student caused. Please let him go with you to the classroom to register. Good luck!" He said with a thumbs up and a glint from his white teeth as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. The turtle did the same.

"Sasuke, I must confess something. Earlier I told you I am the strongest genin here, but I lied. Actually, it is my teammate Neji who is the strongest. He is my goal, you were just practice. If we meet in the exams, I will take you down." With that, Lee lepted to the third floor near Team 8 and ran off.

Sasuke seethed in anger. "Next time I see that freak, I'll crush him!"  
-

"Good, you're all here," Kakashi said, Kurenai next to him. They were next to the door to the real room 301. "Glad you decided to come Sakura. Now you and your team can enter the exams."

"What do you mean, sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Only groups of three can take the exams," Kakashi explain. "If the you hadn't come, your teammates wouldn't have been able to enter."

"That little information was left out so you and Naruto wouldn't be pressured by your teammates, and we didn't want any of you with doubts to feel obligated to," Kurenai added.

"The exams are a big step in your ninja careers. If you enter half-heartedly, it can only led to disaster. You need to choose to be here of your own free will," Kakashi said. Sakura nodded in understanding, as well as Naruto. "Now that that's out of the way, Sasuke, Sakura, Shino, I'm proud of you three. You're all here and for the right reasons. Good luck." He gave them a smile that was just visible from behind his mask.

"The same goes to you guys," Kurenai said beaming with pride. "Hinata, you may not have noticed, but your actually less impulsive that you were in the beginning." Hinata smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Kiba, you and Akamaru have gotten faster and stronger as a deadly duo." Akamaru barked happily while Kiba grinned. "And finally you Naruto. You've come a long way, breaking out of your shell bit by bit." Naruto blushed from her praise. "As a team you face trials and managed to come out on top. Good luck, all of you."

"Yes, senseis!" All the genin said. Their teachers moved aside and both teams entered the room, mentally preparing for what awaited.  
-

Alpha: And with that, the Chunin Exams… BEGIN!

Tenten: You love being dramatic, don't you.

Alpha: Well, sometimes.

Guy: Ah, I remember the exams. You were great Lee. You showed them the power of hard work and youth!

Lee: Thank you Guy-sensei!

Guy: Lee!

Lee: Guy-sensei! (Both embrace with sunset genjutsu in backround.)

Alpha: They really have to keep doing that?

Neji: No, but try telling them that.

Lee: Guy-sensei, I just realised our actions are bothering our comrades.

Tenten: He just realised that.

Guy: You're right Lee, and I think I know why.

Neji: Perhaps now they'll act more mature.

Guy: They are envious and want to join in! We must oblige!

Alpha, Tenten, Neji: Huh?

Lee: You are right Guy-sensei! Everyone, group hug!

Alpha: Um, no thanks, I'm good. (Backs away along with Tenten and Neji)

Guy: Don't be shy. Let us all embrace and fan our flames of youth!

Neji: That's really not necessary sensei.

Tenten: Agreed.

Guy: Lee, let us help them by embracing them as comrades.

Lee: Aye, Guy-sensei! (Lee and Guy chase Alpha, Tenten, and Neji)


	16. Chapter 15 The First Test

A/N: First up, the first test. The preliminaries will be a bit different. Most of the matches will be the same, just to speed things along, but a few of the match-ups will be changed. Warning, my computer's acting funny. So there may be problems later.

Chapter 15: The First Test

"N-no way," Naruto muttered softly.

"I didn't think we'd have this much competition," Sakura added.

The room was full of genin from all over the Elemental Nations. And there were a lot of them. Many looked quite a bit older than them. Did that mean they weren't as good as they looked, or were the exams that hard? These thoughts entered Naruto and Sakura's minds.

' _No, I can't think like that,'_ Sakura thought. ' _I need to do this, for myself, and Sasuke.'_ " **Yeah! Next stop, chunin! And when the two of us are wearing that jacket, he's see I'm the only girl for him!"**

Kiba, Shino, and Hinata were feeling a bit nervous as well. They knew this wasn't going to be easy. ' _But we'll get through it and I'll be a chunin!'_ Hinata thought before sending Naruto an encouraging smile.

"Ah, man. You guy are here too? What a drag." Shikamaru said as he walk up to them.

"Well this is surprise. I never thought you'd take the exams. You know being a chunin means more work, don't you?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, well, I knew we needed to enter as a team, and Choji and Ino wanted to enter, so I really didn't have a choice."

"Heh, sorry about that," Choji apologized.

"Eh, forget about it. As long as I don't make chunin, it's fine."

"You're the only one here thinking that, ya lazy bum," Ino said as she avoided eye contact with Hinata and Naruto.

' _Is she mad at me for ignoring her all month?'_ Hinata wondered. ' _I'm the only one who has the right to be angry! She revealed Naruto's secret Sasuke! She put him, who's never given her the time of day, over one of her loyal friends! I'm surprised she didn't glomp him the second he entered! Is she finally over him?'_ She looked at the blond girl, who was looking longingly at the Uchiha. ' _Nope, still likes him.'_

Naruto pulled Shino and Shikamaru aside. "Guys, w-watch out f-for the Sand t-team, especially Gaara," he whispered as he pointed at them so his friends would know who he was talking about. "He's… like me,"

Both tensed. "Really?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto nodded. "Man, this exam's getting more troublesome by the second."

"Indeed," Shino agreed.

"B-but he's worse."

"Worse, what do you mean?" Shino asked.

"H-he doesn't r-restrain his demon's p-power like I do."

"Great, an unstable jinchūriki. What a drag."

"Um, b-by the w-way, S-Sasuke seemed interested in f-fighting Gaara in t-the exams w-when they met. M-me and Hinata were t-there. M-maybe we s-should warn him."

"I doubt it would change anything," Shino told them. "Why? Sasuke seems to treat you the same even though he knows your secret, which means he does not care. Therefore, we can assume he will do the same with Gaara and still want to fight him. Still, I will speak with him. He is my teammate and even though he and I aren't friends, I do not wish him dead." Naruto and Shikamaru nodded.

"Hey, so you guys are the rookies I've heard so much about." The rookies turned to see a fellow leaf genin with ash-grey hair in a ponytail and black eyes behind round glasses. He wore a dark purple shirt with a high collar and matching pants, a white undershirt, and a white cloth waistband, as well as fingerless purple gloves with metal plates. He wore his protector on his forehead. "Word of advice, tried not to make yourself too much of a target. You've already made quite the impression. Just look around." They did and they saw that just about everyone was looking at them. "Everyone here's heard about the rookies just outta the academy entering the exams. It's not exactly a common occurrence. Just don't rub any of them the wrong way. The exams make everyone tense enough as it is."

"Who are you anyway?"

"Me. I'm Kabuto. Kabuto Yakushi."

"I guess this isn't your first time, huh?" Sakura asked.

"No actually… This is a little embarrassing," he said, rubbing the back of his head, "but this is actually my seventh time taking the exams. But, you know, seventh time's the charm"

"S-seventh?" Naruto asked, shocked.

"That's right. The exams are no joke."

"Maybe you just suck," Kiba said.

"Ah, that brings me back," Kabuto said as he looked off, as if reminiscing. "I remember when I took the exams lightly. Nearly got myself killed too." Naruto, Sakura, Ino, and Choji suddenly got very worried. "But who knows, maybe you'll have better luck."

"So," Choji started as he continued to munch on chips, "you've been taking the exams for seven years?"

"No, the exams take place every six months, so this is my fourth year."

"Wow, a veteran. You must know a lot about the exams," Sakura commented. "Think you can help us?"

"Well, I can't tell you what you're going to face. Each village does it differently. Plus they change it up a little, so as to limit the advantage people like me have." Some of the genin looked disappointed. "But, I do have something useful." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of orange cards with the kanji for shinobi in a white circle outlined in black.

"You gonna teach us how to play cards?" Kiba asked.

"These are ninja info cards. They may look like nothing. In fact…" He drew a single card and showed them the other side. It was blank. "Don't want just anyone reading them. But when I add my chakra…" He held it sideways then focused chakra into it and a map of the the Elemental Nations appeared.

"It's a map!" Sakura exclaimed. "But what's that at the bottom?"

"It mentions the how many genin enter the exams from a village. You see, there's a reason all the villages come together to take the exams. One is to build bonds with other villages. But the main reason is to monitor and regulate the number of shinobi in a village, and thus maintain the balance of power."

"Why's the balance so important?" Ino asked.

"If one nation became much more powerful than it's neighbors, they'd be tempted to attack, which could spark a war. So they try to maintain the status quo. Makes sense, I guess."

Sasuke walked up to him. "Do those cards have knowledge on the individual candidates?"

"Why, yes indeed. They're not perfect, but I have over 200 of these cards on just about everyone here, you guys included. Guess those last four years weren't a waste a time," Kabuto said.

"Yeah, you spend years trying to become a chunin just to fill those cards of yours," Kiba said sarcastically.

Kabuto simply shook his head. "Ah, classic rookie mistake." This angered Kiba, but Kabuto continued. "Knowledge can be just as powerful as any jutsu, if used right. When you know your opponent, you can find his weakness, and avoid his strengths."

" _This match was over before it started because your Sharingan is a bad match for my taijutsu."_ Lee's words echoed in Sasuke's mind. ' _He was a fool, but he knew the strengths of the Sharingan, and refrained from using ninjutsu or genjutsu because he knew it wouldn't work on me.'_

"So, Sasuke right?" Kabuto asked. "The crest on the back of your shirt was a dead giveaway. Is there anyone in particular you want to know about?"

"Yeah, three. Gaara of the desert, Rock Lee of the Leaf, and Neji Hyūga of the Leaf."

"Aw, no fun! You know their names. That makes it too easy." He quickly swiped three cards from his deck. "Here they are. First up, Rock Lee. He's a year older than you guys. Mission experience is 20 D-ranks and 11 C-ranks. Incapable of using ninjutsu or genjutsu, relying solely on taijutsu. But because of this, he's able to focus on that skill and is highly skilled in close quarters combat. His jonin sensei is Might Guy and his teammates are Tenten and Neji Hyuga."

' _So, that's the real reason he used taijutsu only against me,'_ Sasuke thought. ' _But if I put him in a genjutsu…'_

' _That explains his weak chakra network,'_ Hinata concluded.

"Wait, how can he not use ninjutsu or genjutsu?" Ino asked.

"It's rare, but it happens. Some people are born that way. Anyway, next up is his teammate, Neji Hyūga. I'll skip the mission experience, since it's the same. As a member of the Hyūga Clan, he possesses the Byakugan. His primary focus is his clan's Gentle Fist technique, but he's really good at it. Even though he's a member of the side family, he's a prodigy even compared to the main branch. You want to fight him even less in close combat than you do Lee." Sasuke remembered how Lee told him Neji was even stronger than him. Kabuto looked at Hinata. "He's your cousin, right?" Hinata nodded. "Well, I'm sure you know better than me, so tell me, is it true?" Everyone looked at her.

She sighed. "Yeah, it's true. Neji's a natural. He has one of the strongest eyes in the clan. It's speculated that he may one day surpass my father. I've never won a single spar against him." Everyone was quiet. It was unsettling to hear they would be facing someone like him and Lee.

"Well, on to the last one. Gaara of the Desert. He's from the Hidden Sand village. Mission experience is 8 C-rank and, believe it or not, one B-rank. Not a lot of info on him. He's a rookie from another land. But here's an interesting fact. In every missions he's been on, he's never be injured, not even a scratch!"

"Impossible! There's no way he did a B-rank without injury!" Sakura exclaimed.

Kabuto nodded. "It seems the villages of Rain, Sand, Sound, Grass, Waterfall, and Leaf have all sent exceptional shinobi this year to participate in the exams."

"Wait, I've never heard of the Hidden Sound," Kiba said. "And what about the other three major villages? The Cloud, Stone, and Mist?"

"To answer your second question first, the relations with the Cloud and Stone are stained. The Stone are still sore from their loss in the last war, and who could forget the Hyūga Incident." Hinata shivered as she remembered that night. That feeling of helplessness as the Cloud shinobi nearly took her from her home. "The Mist is going through some turbulent times from what I hear. And as for your first question, the Village Hidden in the Sound is a relatively small shinobi village that sprang up in recent years. They're a mystery." He put away his cards. "You all get the point."

"Wow, the competition seems tough," Hinata said.

"Y-yeah, it does," Naruto said.

"Yeah, in the four years I've taken the exams, I've never seen such a group of elite genin like this before," Kabuto said. "This may be the hardest exams I've ever faced."

Everyone was silent as they digested this information. ' _So, not only are we dealing with genin who are older and more experienced, but are crazy strong. Just my luck.'_ Sakura thought.

Naruto started to doubt himself. Hinata saw this and wrapped her arm around him. "Don't worry. I swear we'll get through this, the two of us." Naruto smiled at her.

"Hey, what about us?" Kiba whined, while Akamaru barked.

"Of course, can't forget our mascots," she joked. The bog and dog duo pout as she laughed and Naruto snickered. "Bring it in, you know I'm only joking. We couldn't do this without you, and not just because we need a three man team to enter."

"Yeah, I know I know," he said as he got closer so Hinata could wrap her other arm around him. Akamaru leaned against Hinata leg.

"You guys are a rather close team, aren't you?" Kabuto commented. Hinata simply nodded as she released her teammates.

Sakura looked longingly to her teammate and crush, but Sasuke paid her no mind. Shino spoke to her instead. "Do not worry. Should the time come, I will do what I must to defend my teammates."

"Oh, thanks Shino." This last month she had gotten use to Shino and his bugs. They weren't friends per say, more like good acquaintances. At least she stopped freaking out over his bugs. ' _But I really wanted to hear that from Sasuke,'_ Sakura lamented in her mind. Nothing really changed between her and Sasuke. " **Don't lose hope,"** Inner Sakura said. " **The competition is tough, but this means Sasuke will be more impressed with us when we pass!"** ' _You're right, I'm gonna be a chunin! And after that, Sasuke's girlfriend!'_ " **Cha! That's the spirit!"**

"Man, these exams are gonna be such a drag," Shikamaru complained. "Well, too late to back out now."

"That's right! Asuma-sensei is cheering for us and we can't let him down!" Ino told her teammates.

"Yeah, and he said if one of us became chunin, we'd celebrate with BBQ," Choji said as he finished his bag of chips.

A couple of the genin overheard them, including three particular groups. "Huh, a bunch of dogs barks, with no bite to back it up," Kankuro commented.

"Looks like you didn't intimidate them enough Lee," Neji told the green-clad genin.

"My, you guys aren't easily discouraged are you?" Kabuto said.

"Hmph, nothing's gonna stop me," Sasuke told him.

Just then, they were approached by three genin their protectors on their foreheads. The symbol on it was a music note. One was hunched over, with bandages covering most of his face, leaving only his left eye exposed. He had on a large poncho with long sleeves, as well as a scarf patterned similar to that found on snakes, with a straw raincoat coming out the back. On his right arm was a strange device with holes in it. To his right was another shinobi with spiky black hair and eyes. He wore a beige shirt with two black stripes and three prints of the kanji for death, the same scarf as his teammate. Under the cloth of his protector was a metal face plate that covered his forehead and cheeks. To the first one's left was a kunoichi with long black hair tied with a violet ribbon at the end and black eyes. She wore the same scarf as her teammates and had on a pale green vest that looked a bit similar to a flak jacket.

"Hey you," The hunched figure said, pointing at Kabuto. "You want to know something about Sound shinobi?" Before Kabuto could respond, the man swung at him with his right arm. Kabuto managed to dodge, and the attack passed right in front of him. But after the attack, Kabuto's glasses broken and he found himself bent over on the ground, gagging. "We don't take well to being disrespected."

"The Sound genin will be chunin by the end of this exam, guaranteed," his male teammate added.

' _He dodged that attack, clear as day, so what happened?'_ Sasuke wondered.

' _Everyone here has weird abilities. Is there anyone here normal?'_ Sakura thought.

Suddenly, there was a poof of smoke in the front of the classroom. "Alright all you degenerates! Pipe down and pay attention!" The smoke cleared to reveal a large, scared face man with his protector on a bandana. He had on a dark trench coat and gloves. Behind him were a bunch of proctors for the exams. "It's time for the first tests of the exams to begin! I am Ibiki Morino, your proctor, and as of this moment, your worst enemy." He turned to the Sound genin. "And I'd like to remind all of you that at the moment, fighting is prohibited unless you want to be kicked out." The Sound genin backed away from Kabuto and the Leaf rookies.

"Sorry about that, guess we're a bit jumpy. It's our first time after all," the hunched one said.

"Remember, no fighting unless I say you can! And even if I do, the use of fatal force is prohibited! If you even think of messing with me, I'll kick you out of this building myself." Many genin gulped. "Now, let's begin. Hand in your application. In return you'll get a number. You will sit in the chair with your number. And no trading. Once everyone is seat, we'll begin the written test."

"Great, I hate written tests," Hinata complained.

Everyone handed in their application and took a seat. Hinata sat in the back, Kiba the third row from the back two chairs to the right from Hinata, and Naruto in the front row. "Eyes front everyone. There are a few rules I need to tell you about, and I won't answer any question, so listen up. Rule #1: You all start the test with a perfect score of ten points. With each wrong answer, you lose one point. So if you get three answers wrong, you have seven points." Everyone nodded in understanding. "Rule #2: Whether you pass or fail depends on the total number of points from both you and your teammates." That shocked everyone. A few voiced their complaints. "Silence! I have my reasons, so shut up and listen! Rule #3: You see the sentinels around the room?" Everyone nodded. They noticed the people sitting all around them. "They are here to watch for any signs of cheating. They'll deduct two points from the culprit's score every time they're caught. And be warned, they are all trained shinobi, their eye sharp. If they catch you five times, you will be removed before the tests are even scored." Everyone went silent. A couple of genin looked around nervously at the sentinels. "If you're fool enough to be caught cheating, you don't deserve to be here! So if you want to be want to be considered shinobi, prove you deserve to be."

' _Ok, so even if I screw up, I'll still pass and won't drag down my friends,'_ Naruto thought.

"Also, if one of your teammates gets a zero, the whole team fails."

' _Me and my big, mental mouth.'_

"The tenth question will be withheld until a quarter till the end of the test. You all have one hour. Begin!"

Everyone went through the papers. ' _Okay, no sweat. As long as I get one answer right, everything should be fine. And it's not like I'm an idiot. As long as I remember Iruka-sensei's teachings, I should be able to get a passing grade.'_ He started to feel optimistic, until he read the first question. ' _This one's too hard. Maybe I should come back to it later.'_ Unfortunately, the questions only got harder and harder. ' _Not good, very not good. Iruka-sensei didn't cover this kind of stuff. How am I supposed to calculate the trajectory of a kunai like this. Usually it's instinct that helps me dodge.'_ He glanced around carefully, so as not to seem like he's cheating. ' _Some of these guys don't seem to be having that much trouble.'_ He looked back.

Sakura was cheering inwardly. Written tests were her strong suit. ' _Yeah! I can do this! Sure, the question are kinda tough, but it's nothing I can't handle.'_

Sasuke was struggling, until he realized something. ' _He didn't tell us we couldn't cheat, just that we can't get caught.'_

Other people realized that too. Kiba had Akamaru on his head looking at other people's tests then giving him the answers. The two Hyūgas were using their eyes, and so was Sasuke. Using his Sharingan, he mimicked the movement of Sakura's hands as she wrote down the answers. Tenten was using ninja wire to manipulate mirrors on the ceiling. (How she set that up without anyone noticing, I'll never know) This allowed her and Lee to see someone else's answers. Ino used her Mind Transfer Jutsu on Sakura after she, and Sasuke, finished, taking over her body for a moment to memorized the answers. After returning to her body and writing the answers down, she used it on Choji and wrote the answers on his test. Shino used his bugs. Shikamaru was one of the few people who didn't need to cheat.

After twenty minutes, Naruto decided to look at the answers of the person next to him. He started to lean over when a kunai whizzed past him and landed on the test of the person diagonal to him. He was a fellow leaf genin. "That's five." One of the proctors said. Naruto was worried he was talking about him. "Numbers 28, 45, and 34, please leave."

After that, teams started drop like flies. Not all of them took defeat gracefully. One Sand genin argued about how unfair it was and argued with one of the sentinels, who proceeded to kick the genin's butt before the boy was dragged away.

The test was halfway over. In fifthteen minutes, Ibiki would give them the final question, and Naruto's paper was still blank. ' _Crap, I'm screwed! So screwed! I can't lean over and look at someone's paper! I'll get caught!'_

" **That's right."**

' _N-Nine-Tails?'_

" **No, I'm the other demon sealed inside you,"** he remarked sarcastically.

' _He doesn't have to be so rude.'_

" **I heard that."**

' _Oh, s-sorry. Um, N-Nine-Tails, quick question? Do you know the answers?'_

" **Let me guess, you want me to tell you the answers?"**

' _K-kinda, yes.'_

" **Hmm,"** ' _ **On one hand, the exams are incredibly dangerous, especially with all these shinobi who are undoubtedly stronger than the kit. And most won't hesitant to kill him, which is bad for me. Might be a good idea to let him fail. But on the other hand, all these people might give him the push he needs to use my power and weaken the seal even further, and I'll be able to escape sooner.'**_ " **Fine, I'll help, the answer to the first question is…"**

Meanwhile, one of the proctors was ready to fail him. ' _Goodbye demon.'_ He was about to throw the kunai when he was stopped. "What the hell, Izumo," he whispered.

"I only count three marks. He need five to fail."

"Like anyone's gonna complain that I failed him for less."

"Look, I may not be comfortable with Uzumaki either, but I'm not gonna let it affect my professionalism. And neither should you." The man sighed, but agreed.

Some time later, Ibiki spoke. "Alright, time for the tenth question!"

Naruto had just finished the ninth question. ' _T-thank you Nine-Tails.'_

" **Whatever. Just a heads up, you're on your own with this last one."**

' _O-ok.'_ Naruto responded.

"Now, before I give you the final question, I'll need to give you some more rules."

"Back." Kankuro said. Earlier he need to go to the bathroom. He was escorted by one of the sentinels.

"Aren't you lucky. Was your trip to the bathroom, enlightening?"

Kankuro got worried. ' _Crap, he's seen through Crow's disguise.'_

"Well, take your seat." Kankuro obliged, but not before carefully placing something small on Temari's desk. "As I was saying, this last question has some very special rules. Don't let them frighten you."  
-

"It's quiet without the rookies. I almost miss them," Kakashi said.

"Perhaps it was a bit hasty for you three to send them to the exams so soon," Guy said.

"I thought the same thing, but they passed my tests, so I had to let them go," Iruka said.

"I'm confident they'll be alright," Kurenai said.

"Besides, we may see them sooner than you think. I hear Ibiki is their first proctor," Asuma told them.

"Great, already they chance are slim to none if that sadist is in charge," Kakashi commented while Guy nodded.

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked "I mean, I know he works with Anko but he can't be that bad."

"Ibiki is an expert at his job. His very name sends shivers down even the most hardened of shinobi, and with good reason," Kakashi explains. "The man's head of the Interrogation Unit, specializing in the extraction of information, through torture."

"But it's not like he's going to hurt the children, right?" Iruka asked.

"No, not physically that is," Guy answered.

"He's an expert in psychological warfare, attacking people's minds. It's more his style anyway." Asuma said.

"That's not good for Naruto at all," Iruka realised.

"Wait, I heard he was close to you-know-who," Kurenai said, since Iruka did not know about Naruto's heritage. "Perhaps…"

"No, he's a professional. He won't go easy on Naruto even if he's 'his' son." Kakashi told her. "He knows Naruto's father would rather his son fail than succeed through special treatment."

"Wait, who's Naruto father?" Iruka asked.

"Sorry, can't tell you," Kakashi told him.

"What! Why not?"

"Because then you'd tell Naruto," he said simply.

"Of course I'd tell him! The boy deserves to know who his parents were!" Iruka argued.

"He's not ready, not yet," Kurenai explained.

"So, these something special about Naruto's parents? Even bigger than the Nine-Tails being sealed inside him?"

"Well, in a way, I guess," Kakashi answered. "Just trust us. We're doing this for a good reason."

"Who else knows?" Iruka asked.

"Besides us?" Kakashi thought for a moment. "Let's see… The Hokage, his advisors, Ibiki… hmm and maybe the Feudal Lord, but I don't know."

"And that's it?"

"Shikaku may know, but that's because he's a smart guy. But yeah, that's all."

"Oh wait, I think Hiashi knows too," Kurenai added.

"True, Hitomi and Naruto's mom were close after all. May they both rest in peace," Guy said.

"I don't know. Hiashi's been bothering my old man to get Hinata away from Naruto," Asuma told them.

"So I guess none of them are gonna tell me?" The four jonin nodded, making the chunin sigh. "Fine. I just hope Naruto and the others will be alright, if what you said about Ibiki is true."  
-

"Rule #1: You may choose not to be given the tenth question." Ibiki told them the genin looked curious at this turn of events.

But a few were suspicious. "What's the catch?" Temari asked.

"If you choose not to take the final question, then you will get a zero regardless of your answers to the previous questions. This means you fail, and so do your teammates."

"Well then of course we'll take it! I mean, it's not like we really have a choice, right?" Kiba yelled.

"Hold on, there's one more rule." Everyone was silent. "If you choose to take the final question and get it wrong, not only will you fail…" Ibiki paused and a smirk formed on his face, "but neither you nor your teammates will be allowed to take the exams ever again."

"No way!" Kiba shouted as he stood up. "That's bullshit! Most of the people here have taken the exams multiple times before!"

Ibiki just laughed at him. And not in a joyous way. More like a laugh you'd hear in a horror movie. "I guess you're just unlucky then. Those weren't the rules before but they are now! If I say you can never take the exams, then that's what'll happen. If you don't like it, there's the door."

Kiba just sat down, contemplating what to do. At first, nothing happened. Then one guy, a Leaf genin, got up. "I… I'm sorry guys. I can't… I just can't!" He looked down in shame as he walked to the door, his teammates following. Once that happened, a more teams left.

" **So, kit, what are you gonna do. And don't forget, I'm not helping you with this one, even if you begged me on your knees in front of my cage. But if you want to give it a try, I'll enjoy watching you grovel before me."** The fox demon laughed.

' _What do I do? What do I do? If I screw up, I'll ruin Hinata and Kiba's ninja careers! And they'll hate me for that! But if I leave, I'll be letting them down.'_ Naruto gripped his chair and started shaking.

Hinata saw him and got worried. ' _Naruto's getting nervous. I can tell he wants to leave, but he doesn't want to let us down. Maybe I should be the one who leaves, and take away the pressure from him.'_ She was about to raise her hand to quit when it happened.

Ibiki also noticed Naruto shaking like a leaf and walked up to him. Then leaned forward, his face just inches away. "So little man, what's it gonna be?" He asked with an emotionless face. "Leave and fail your teammates, or stay and possibly screw up their future and yours." Naruto started sweating. All eyes were on the young blond boy. The pressure was starting to get to him when he remembered something. And just when Hinata was about to yell that she quit, he spoke.

"A… A s-shinobi m-must b-be w-willing t-to t-take risks," he said. "B-besides, I m-made a promise to someone I c-care about. I swore… to n-never to give up. A-and I never go back on my word." He forced himself to look Ibiki in the eye with determination. "Because that's our ninja way!"

Everyone looked at him in shock, especially the ones who knew him as the shyest boy in the Leaf. Hinata remember their blood oath back during the Wave mission and was glad he still remembered it. "That's right! You can't get rid of Team 8 that easily!" Hinata shouted. "We're gonna take your tenth question and move on to the next part!"

"Well, I'm not gonna be the one who fails us! We're in! Right Akamaru?" Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Heh, if that pipsqueak's not leaving, there no way I am!" shouted a random genin.

"This whole thing's a drag," Shikamaru complains. "But I'm not leaving either." ' _And if I fail anyway, I can say I tried. That should satisfy mom. Maybe.'_

"Can we get on with this?" Sasuke asked, bored.

"Agreed." Gaara said.

Ibiki's face remained impassive. He watched as all doubt from the other genin disappeared. "So this is your final decision?" he asked as he walked to front of the classroom. Nobody spoke, but none of them looked like they wanted to leave. ' _78 left, that more than I expected. But it seems I can do no more, so I guess I have no choice.'_ "Then I have one last thing to say for those of you remaining."

' _Is it another rule?'_ Sakura lamented.

Ibiki smirked. "You all pass."

Many genin looked shocked by this. "W-wait. What do you mean we pass?" Ino asked. "What about the tenth question?"

"There isn't one. Not a written one that is. You see, your decision on whether to stay or not was the real tenth question."

"Wait, so those last nine questions were a waste?" Temari asked.

"Not at all. You see, the purpose of the first nine questions was to test your information gathering skills. As chunin, you'll be given mission that require you to obtain valuable strategic information covertly. As you realized, the first nine questions were on a difficulty level beyond what one would expect from any genin. Which is why I'm sure you all came to the conclusion that the only way to keep your points was to cheat. You see, the test was designed to encourage cheating. Of course, this is useless with someone to cheat off of. Which is why we had chunin who knew all the answers inserted among you." A couple of people they thought were genin waved at the remaining genin, revealing themselves as the disguised chunin. "Those that were caught failed, because it's better not to cheat, then to do so clumsily. Knowledge is power. Information can tip the scales of any conflict. It's more powerful than any jutsu." The rookies remembered Kabuto's words earlier. "How well you gather intelligence determines whether a mission succeeds, or fails. And the will be times," he removed his bandana and showed off his head, which was full of puncture wounds, burn marks, and other scars "when you have to put your life on the line to get it." People gasped at the state of his head. He replaced his bandana. "Of course, you must always consider the source of your information. Intelligence gathered from an enemy is not alway accurate. Always remember this. Dis information can be more disastrous than no information. It can cause you to walk right into an enemy trap, or lead you on a wild goose chase. It can lead to the death of comrades, or the loss of a village. That's why those who weren't good enough were weeded out, leaving the rest of you."

"Um, I still don't get the tenth question." Ino said. A couple people agreed.

"It's like the boy said, a shinobi must be willing to take risks. As chunin, you'll be assigned to missions with no guarantee of coming back. There will be times when you'll have to make a painful decision in a no-win situation. For example, say you need to steal a secret document, but it's guarded by an unknown amount of enemy shinobi. You know very little about them. Also, you have reason to believe they are expecting you. Do you get to pass on this crazy mission? To live to fight another day? No! Do you try to minimize the risks? Yes, but not at the expense of the mission! The life of a chunin is a life of danger, for both you and your comrades. You will be given crazy missions that seem impossible, but you don't back away. You face it, and achieve the goal with courage and discipline. If you aren't willing to risk your life, if you courage falters in adversity, you have no business calling yourself a chunin, or even a shinobi! The same goes for your comrades! They agreed to the same risks!" Everyone nodded in understanding. "You have all met the requirements of the tasks placed upon you by me. I wish you luck as…"

Suddenly, something crashed through the window. A familiar woman stopped right in front of Ibiki, who simply shook his head. "Heads up, brats! The exams are far from over! I am Anko Mitarashi, your proctor for the second part of the exam! Time for the next… part..." Her voice falters as she looks toward the remaining genin. "Crap! Am I too early? Did I interrupt the first test again?"

"Yes, you're a bit early, but no, these are the genin who passed." Ibiki explained. "I was actually just finishing up."

Anko looked at Ibiki, then the genin, then back at Ibiki. "What, you let this many of them pass? Geez, you're getting soft."

"Or maybe we've got ourselves a tougher batch then usual," Ibiki told her.

"Ha, maybe, but when I'm done with them, there won't be more than half of them left. Rest well, little genin, because tomorrow, I'm putting all of you through hell!"  
-

Alpha: I feel kinda bad.

Tenten: Me too, but we had no choice.

Neji: Agreed, it had to be done. (They look at Lee and Guy hugging Shino, Shikamaru, and Sasuke, who are struggling to escape) It was us or them.

Alpha: Yeah, I guess.

Tenten: Quit acting like you were reluctant, you were the one who pushed Shino toward them!

Alpha: Yeah, well you pushed Shikamaru!

Neji: Enough! There's no point in arguing. What's done is done.

Alpha: _sighs_ You're right. But I almost regret what we did. (Guy and Lee release the three shinobi, who lie comatose.) Almost.


	17. Chapter 16 Into the Forest of Death

A/N: First, I'd like to apologize for those waiting on my Runaways stories. I've been having writer's block in those and on a roll here. Anyway, remember to review and recommend this to any Naruto fans you know.

Chapter 16: Second Test. Into the Forest of Death

The area in front of them was fenced off, with signs saying 'Danger!' and 'No Trespassing!' Large trees were all that could be seen from where they were. "Welcome all, to Training Ground 44, also know as," Anko paused for dramatic effect, "the Forest… of DEATH!"

Naruto sighed. "Why'd they have to name it that?" he muttered softly to himself.

However, next thing he knew, a kunai cut his cheek and Anko was right behind him. She knew what he said from reading his lips. "Well, we considered naming it the Forest of Cuddly Things, just to throw people off, but everyone kept laughing at us," she joked as she licked his wound, tasting his blood and causing the boy to shiver in discomfort. "Ooh, bad news. Your blood is tasty. No way anything in there's spitting you out." She jumped back to dodge a palm strike from Hinata. "Save your strength little girl. You'll need it. You all will." She went to retrieve her kunai, which was in held by the tongue of a Grass kunoichi. "I'll take that."

"Of course," she replied, her voice unhindered despite her tongue being used to hold the ninja tool. Relinquishing the weapon, the Grass nin returned to her teammates, as Anko moved back to the front of the group of genin. Meanwhile, Hinata took out her cream, while Naruto protested about not needing it for a small cut that will heal fast.

"Anyway, here how it's gonna be. Each team will be given one of two types of scrolls. Half of you will get the Heaven Scroll, and the other half will get the Earth Scroll. You all have five days to get to the tower at the center of the forest with at least one of each scroll."

' _So that's why she said half of us would fail yesterday,'_ Sakura concluded. ' _Because it's only possible for half of us at max to pass.'_

"How you obtain the scroll is up to you. You can steal it through stealth or simply kill your opponents and take it." She watched as the some of the newcomers' eyes widened. "That's right, killing is allowed. It an anything goes survival challenge!"

"What about food?" Choji asked. He didn't have enough food with him for five days in the forest.

"There's plenty of edible plants in the forest," Anko explained. "As well as poisonous ones. And animals to hunt. Just makes sure they are on the menu instead of you. So you have no real reason to starve, or turn to cannibalism. Now see that red booth over there." She pointed to it. It was cover in the front by a sheet. "Each team must go over there and sign these consent forms," she held up some papers, "in order to get their scrolls."

"What consent forms?" a random Sand genin asked.

"The ones that say I'm not responsible for your untimely death of course," she said, as if it was no big deal, something that bothered quite a few genin. She handed Naruto the documents, who grabbed one and passed the pile on. "Anyway, let me tell you about the landscape. There are 44 locked gates, each 10 kilometers from the central tower. In addition to the forest you see, there are rivers that run through it."

"Hey, what if, at some point later, we decide to quit?" Shikamaru asked.

Anko laughed at him. "Then sucks to be you. In a battle, you can't just say, 'Oh, I quit.' Well, you could, but you'd probably end up killed or tortured. There are, however, ways to get disqualified. First, your full team failed to get to the tower with both scrolls within the time limit. Second, if a member of your team dies or is too injured to continue. And the third, and most important rule..."

"More important than death?" Choji whispered to his teammates.

"Do not, under any circumstances, read the contents of your scrolls! Not until you reach the tower!"

"W-what if i-it happens to open b-by it's s-self b-before we g-get there? " Naruto asked.

"You don't want to know, trust me. There will be times when you have to carry sensitive information. Information you don't need to know. So this is not only a survival test, but a test of your integrity. Now, head over to the booth, hand in your form, and get your scroll and gate number. Oh, and a word of advice, don't die."

The teams headed toward the booth. Team 8 got an Earth Scroll. "So what's the plan?" Kiba whispered.

Hinata turn to him her Byakugan activated. "Right now, I'm seeing who has what scroll and the gate they are assigned to. Looks like Shino's team has the Heaven scroll. So do Shikamaru's team. Not that I plan on taking it. I'd rather we didn't take from our comrades." Hinata continued to watch. 'The Sound team that attacked Kabuto earlier have an Earth Scroll, so they're out. Same with this Grass Team. You know, the one with that kunoichi that held Anko's kunai with her tongue." Hinata continued to see which team had what scroll. "Ooh, there's another Grass team with a heaven scroll. We could go after them."

"Good idea. Akamaru, go get their scent." Akamaru nodded and the puppy ran to the Sand team. "Once the exams start, we should head to the area near their gate, then follow their scent. You got their gate number?" Hinata nodded.

"W-we should p-probably keep a d-distance, m-maybe wait for them to f-fight. We can l-learn what they c-can do and find a w-way to avoid or c-counter it."

"But what if they have a sensor and detect us?" Kiba asked.

"We'll have to think on our feet as we kick their asses!" Hinata answered.  
-

The exams started. Kiba, Hinata, and Naruto were head toward the Grass team's gate. "Hey, Hinata, how long till we get there?" Kiba asked.

"Not much longer now. We're making good time. We have any unwanted visitors?"

Kiba shook his head. "Akamaru doesn't smell anyone else. Check with your eyes though, just in case."

Hinata nodded. "Byakugan!" The veins bulged around her eyes. "Nope, no one is… Wait, I see Team 7! They're fighting that Grass nin with the weird tongue!"

"How are they doing?" Kiba asked.

"Not good. I don't see Shino or his insects, and Sasuke and Sakura are being chased by a giant snake. We should help them." Sasuke may be a pain to her, but he was still a Leaf shinobi. She would not let him die. Kiba and Naruto felt the same and quickly agreed.

They rushed over to the battlefield. When they arrived, the snake was dead, but the Grass kunoichi was slithering up the trees toward Sasuke, her lower body turned into that similar of a snake. Hinata wasted no time in throwing kunai with a paper bomb on it near the threat. The explosion caught the Grass nin off guard, but she still dodged it. "What is this? Reinforcements?"

"What are you fools doing here?" Sasuke yelled. Things have not been going well. When the Grass nin appeared, she blasted Shino away with a wind jutsu, and he hadn't returned since. Whether it was because he was a coward and ran or something else happened to him didn't matter to the young Uchiha. Things got worse as Sasuke and Sakura felt the most intense killer intent ever from her, leaving them paralyzed. Even with all his willpower, he barely managed to move enough to hurt himself, using pain to overcome fear. They thought they had escaped, only for a giant snake to try and eat them. Sasuke panicked and threw a number of shuriken into the serpent's mouth, killing it. But the Grass nin popped out of the snake and went after him when Team 8 appeared.

"We're here to help, duh," Kiba said. "Right Akamaru?" To his surprise, Akamaru hid behind Kiba. "What's wrong Akamaru?" The pup whimpered.

"What's up?" Hinata asked.

"As you know, Akamaru can sense an opponent's strength. And right now, he's saying this guy is off the charts!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, but it's still nice to hear," the Grass nin said, looking toward her new prey with interest and sending shivers down their spines.

' _Damn it! This can't happen!'_ Sasuke thought. ' _I can't die before Itachi! Plus, Hinata's still a valuable part of my future, so she can't die now either. There's only one thing to do.'_ "You can have it!" Everyone looked at him as he pulled out a Heaven Scroll. "This is what you want right? Take it! It's yours! Now leave us alone!"

Everyone was shock. ' _Sasuke's… giving up?'_ Sakura thought.

"A wise move. After all, sometimes the only way for the prey to escape the predator is to hand over something precious."

Sasuke tossed the scroll toward the enemy, only for Naruto to jump forward and grab the scroll first. "You stupid fool! What do you think you're doing?!" Sasuke yell, outraged.

"He's doing what I told him to do." Sasuke and Sakura turned to Hinata. "If you don't want your scroll, fine. We need a Heaven Scroll anyway. But there's no way we're letting her get it. By the way, where's Shino?"

Sakura got up. "He… he was blown away by her wind jutsu," Sakura explained. "I don't... I don't know what happened to him," She was really worried about her teammate.

Naruto grew more worried as well as Hinata glared at the Grass kunoichi. "There's no way we're letting her get away with hurting our friend!"

"Oh, then do something about," she taunted.

"Byakugan!" Hinata leaped in front of her got into the Gentle Fist stance.

"Akamaru, snap out of it! Our friends need us!" But Akamaru remain frightened and unwilling to fight. "Alright, stay here then. I'll be back. All-Fours Jutsu!" Kiba changed like he did in the Wave.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Five Narutos appeared near the original.

"Idiots! Give her the scroll and leave!" Sasuke ordered.

"Geez, I'm starting to doubt you're really Sasuke," Kiba said as he landed behind the Grass nin.

"Of course I'm me!"

"No, I'm not so sure," Hinata commented. "Sasuke Uchiha is many things. Arrogant, annoying, a self-centered jerk… But one thing he is not is a coward! I'm not leaving just because you choked."

"A sad, but true fact," The Grass nin said, nodding. "Well, then, show me what you've got, little girl." Hinata dashed toward her, a palm strike ready. Now that she was closer, her Byakugan notice something weird about her face, but it wasn't some kind of weakness as far as she could tell, so she ignored it. She thrust her palm and the Grass nin jumped to dodge. Kiba used Tunneling Fang to strike the nin mid-air, but she twisted her body in an unusual manner, allowing her to narrowly dodge the attack. She landed just as six Narutos, armed with kunai attacked. The Grass nin skillfully dodged the attacks then grabbed one and broke his arm with a twist. He puffed, revealing he was a clone. One clone got close, but was kicked into another, both disappearing. "Boring." The remaining three Narutos jumped back and threw kunai, which were deflected easily with her kunai. But then she heard a hiss and jumped away in time as a paper bomb exploded. "Not bad, but nowhere near good enough."

However, the moment, she landed, Hinata was ready with her attack. "8 Trigrams: 2 palms," she attacked but the nin dodged, "4 palms," her attacks still weren't hitting, "8 palms, 16 palms," the Grass nin just kept avoiding the attack by moving her body like it was that of a snake, frustrating Hinata, "8 Trigra…" She was interrupted when the Grass kunoichi caught her arms and threw her into Kiba.

She bit her thumb and performed a few handsigns. "Summoning Jutsu!" Suddenly, she was atop the head of another giant snake. Naruto ran to his friends, but the snake knocked him and his clones away with it's tail, dispelling the fakes.

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted. But before she could run to him, the snaked slammed its head on the branch where she and Kiba were. The jumped to avoid it, but smaller snakes came out of the Grass nin's sleeves and were used to grab them and the two Leaf genin were slammed together before being dropped.

Once they recovered, Kiba and Hinata jumped on another branch and were backed against the trunk of the tree, the snake and it's rider closing in on them. The snake was about to slam its head on them again, but before they could dodge, an orange and red blur moved in front of them and caught the large serpent. It was Naruto, but he was different. He was using the Nine-Tails chakra. Hinata was surprised to see him like this, and while Kiba had caught a glimpse of him back in the Wave, seeing it up close was another experience, one that frightened him. Naruto was facing them, the snake he was holding back behind him. He looked at them with his red slitted eyes. "I… won't let anyone… hurt my friends!" He turned and uppercutted the snake.

The Grass nin jumped off the snake and onto a branch, not because she had to, but because she wanted to. She noticed the red aura around Naruto, as well as the physical changes. ' _So that's where the Fourth put it.'_

Naruto jumped on the snake's head and started pounding on it viciously, much to everyone's surprise. The snake wailed (do snakes wail?) in pain as it tried to shake Naruto off. But the jinchūriki dug his claws into the snake's scaly skin and refused to let go, until the snake shaked upward. He released and was sent up toward a branch. Naruto flipped a bit so his feet hit the branch, then kicked off it, launch himself back at the snake and delivering the final blow. The snake laid on the ground, head bleeding and dead. But Naruto wasn't done. He turned to the Grass nin.

" **She tried to kill your friends. She wants you to be alone again."**

' _Never again! Never again!'_

" **Kill her then."** Naruto moved to oblige. He dashed up a tree.

' _Is that really Naruto?'_ Sakura wondered. He was nothing like she remember. Then again, most if not all of her memories with him involved her making fun of him. She wasn't sure if she did it to fit in or because she wanted to know what it felt like to be the victimizer instead of the victim. ' _Maybe I should have been nicer. Hope he doesn't hold a grudge.'_

The Grass kunoichi waited eagerly for him to get to her. ' _Let's see what you can do.'_ Naruto punched at her, which she dodge. He went for a leg sweep, but she jumped over it and kick Naruto's head. "Is that really all you've got? How disappointing."

Naruto growled before attacking again. The Grass nin threw shurikens, but Naruto didn't change course to dodge. He just kept running toward her, taking cuts and having shuriken imbedded in his arms and shoulders. He removed two from his left arm and threw them back. The nin dodged easily and caught Naruto's fist before throwing him away.

' _No way! Haku once told me Naruto dominated him in that form, yet this guy is toying with him!'_ Kiba thought. Now he truly understood why Akamaru was so scared.

' _Moron! Doesn't he know it's hopeless? She's too strong!'_

Naruto was back and tried to punch her again. ' _The same move? Pathetic.'_ However, she saw Naruto smirk and another Naruto punch her in the face. ' _Oh, so he trick me with a clone. He may not be a completely lost cause.'_

Naruto didn't notice the bit of skin on his knuckles until he saw her face again. Where the skin was taken off around her left eye was another layer, this one pale white. Her eye was different too. Before it was black but now it was yellow with a slitted pupil, similar to Naruto's and Kiba's, but more snake-like. Around the eye was purple markings. "Well, that hit had some force to it, but it's not enough to beat me." Her voice was different, a bit more masculine. Normally, Naruto would ponder this. But right now he was full of Nine-Tails chakra and aching to spill her blood for hurting his friends. So he dashed toward her, along with his clone. They kicked, but the Grass nin dodged the original and grabbed the clone's leg and slammed on it with his elbow. There was an audible crack and a shout of pain before the clone dispelled. And before the real Naruto could react, her tongue shot out and grabbed both wrists before bringing the boy to him.

Hinata snapped out of the stupor she had been in the whole time and rushed to him. ' _Ok, this Naruto is a lot more violent, but he's still Naruto! I know it! He's doing this to protect his friends and now he's in trouble.'._

"I gotta say, with that fox, you're not that bad," the Grass nin said, his voice to low for Sakura to hear. Again, her voice was unhindered despite the use of her tongue. "But take it away," she lifted his jacket and shirt with her left hand, revealing the seal, "and you're nothing." On her right hand, purple flames on each finger, with a different kanji. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. "Five Pronged Seal!" He thrust this fingers on Naruto seal. Naruto cried in pain before the Nine-Tails chakra left him, returning him to normal. His blue eyes were dazed as he started losing consciousness.

The Grass nin threw him to the side, but luckily he was caught by Hinata. Jump landed on a nearby branch. "Naruto! Are you alright?" Naruto didn't respond, but the rise and fall of his chest told her he was still breathing. She released the breath she was holding. At least he was still alive. Still,.. "What did you do to him?" she demanded, Byakugan activated. The Grass nin was not intimidated. "And who the hell are you?"

"Oh, just took care of a little fox problem. Temporarily anyway. And as for who I am…" she ripped off the rest of her face, revealing another face, a whiter one that was more masculine, "you may know me as Orochimaru."

Hinata's eyes widened upon hearing the name and her blood froze. She had learned about him. Orochimaru, the rogue sannin and one of the strongest shinobi alive! And they pick a fight with him! ' _Why do we attract them now? First Zabuza, now him? Who's next?'_ She looked at the rogue sannin and gulped. ' _If we survive this.'_

Sasuke was seething. ' _He's nothing! A nobody! He's not even from a clan! I am an Uchiha! An elite! I won't be one-upped by him because of a little fear!'_ He jumped into the air, blazing through hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" He blew a large fireball at Orochimaru, who dodged, jumping back. Sasuke landed on the branch Orochimaru once occupied, Sharingan active, but it was a bit different. Now it had two tomoes on both eyes. "You fought a nobody, now you face an elite! I'll show you the power of the Uchiha!"

' _So, his Uchiha blood is finally coming to a boil? Good. Time to have a little fun and see what he can do.'_

"First you, then Itachi!" Sasuke threw kunai, which Orochimaru dodged with little effort. Sasuke jumped forward and kicked at Orochimaru's head, only to be blocked. He jumped back and the two dashed at each other, engaged in a taijutsu fight. Although Sasuke had yet to land a blow, Orochimaru was impressed as he didn't make it too easy. ' _He lacks the speed and power behind his blows like the jinchūriki did using the fox's power, but Sasuke's eyes and better form more than make up for it. He can anticipate my attacks.'_ "Why don't we test those eyes of yours." Orochimaru backed away and moved around at high speed.

It took a few seconds, but Sasuke's eye managed to track Orochimaru's movements. ' _I can see you,'_ he thought as he launched a fireball that hit so close Orochimaru felt the heat. Sasuke wasted no time and rushed, stabbing Orochimaru with his kunai. Unfortunately, he turned to mud. ' _Substitution.'_

Meanwhile, Kiba jumped to where Hinata and Naruto were. "He alright?"

"I think so. Go find Shino." Kiba started argue but Hinata spoke again. "We don't know what shape he's in, and this forest is full of predators." Kiba realised she was right and rushed to find the insect user.

' _He's not bad. Nowhere near my level at the moment, but given time, he may actually surpass that brother of his,'_ Orochimaru thought as he left his hiding spot. ' _The power of the Uchiha. I want it!'_ Orochimaru charged at Sasuke, who was caught unprepared as he was punched in the face. Or so it looked as a flash bomb went off, stunning the sannin enough for Sasuke to recover and throw shurikens with ninja wire attached all around and tying the sannin to a tree. ' _This is… the Sharingan Windmill Triple Attack! I didn't think he knew this jutsu!'_ The sannin could help but smirk. ' _You're just full of surprises aren't you Sasuke.'_

' _Well, the good news is Orochimaru is being pushed back,'_ Hinata thought as she held Naruto close. ' _But the bad news is his ego will inflate even more later.'_

' _Sasuke, you're so awesome!'_ " **Yeah! Finish him Sasuke!"**

"Looking at you right now, I'm embarrassed that I was afraid of you. Goodbye, Orochimaru. Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Flames traveled down one of the ninja wire and lit Orochimaru like a Christmas tree. The flames died and all that was left was a burnt corpse.

"Sasuke you did it!" Sakura shouted as she rushed to his side. The young Uchiha crouched, panting heavily. "Sasuke? Are you alright?" his teammate asked in concern.

He had used up most of his remaining chakra to increase the effectiveness of his last jutsu. He was exhausted, but he smiled triumphantly. ' _I did it! I killed him, and Itachi is next!'_ However, Orochimaru mouth opened and he crawled out, as if shedding his skin, no sign of any injuries either. Sakura and Hinata were grossed out, but Sasuke just looked wide eyed. ' _What, no!'_

"Such mastery of the Sharingan at such a young age. You do the Uchiha name good. Yes, you'll do nicely." His head suddenly shot out, his neck becoming longer. Sasuke and Sakura tried to move, but found themselves paralysed. Orochimaru then bit Sasuke neck. Sasuke screamed in agony. His body felt like it was on fire, and it burned the most where he was being bitten. Orochimaru released Sasuke and his neck returned to normal. Near the bit mark, three black tomoes arranged in a circle appeared. Sasuke glared "Don't look at me like that. This is a gift. And one day soon, you will come to me seeking more power. Power to destroy the one who hurt you long ago. The one you seek."

' _Power… to destroy Itachi?'_ These were his last thought before he lost consciousness. Sakura supported him.

Had this been any other situation, she would be thrilled to be holding him. But Sasuke was fatigued and in pain. There was no enjoyment. "Sasuke would never join the likes of you!" she shouted.

Orochimaru smirked before turning away. "We shall see." He jumped over to where Hinata and Naruto were, as she had told Kiba to find Shino. "Your turn."

"N-no!" She found herself paralysed in the same manner as Sasuke was earlier. Orochimaru's neck become elongated and he was about to bite Hinata like he did Sasuke.

But his neck was bitten instead, by Akamaru. "Grrr, annoying mongrel." He moved his neck back so he could grab the dog and throw him off. Akamaru hit a tree and fell, but Hinata, who was holding Naruto in her arms, got under him, so he landed on Naruto's stomach. Orochimaru got on the ground and looked at the Hyūga heiress, who set Naruto and Akamaru aside and dropped into the Gentle Fist stance. "You know who I am, better than the others. In fact, I'm sure you're aware of my fearsome reputation. So why do you still wish to fight?"

"I'll protect my friends, no matter the cost!" Hinata said with conviction.

"I suppose that's admirable. Foolhardy, but admirable nonetheless. You'd make a nice bonus," Hinata tensed, ready for his attack. "But I've spent enough time here and I've already got what I want. So consider yourself lucky. You're free to go." Orochimaru sunk into the ground. "Farewell. I'm a little curious about yours and the boy's progress too, and how they match up to Sasuke's." With that, he was gone.

Hinata walked over to Naruto and Akamaru collapsed. Akamaru was hurt, but not seriously. Kiba walked into the area, carrying Shino on his back. "Found him a little ways from here. Looks hit his head hard and I don't know when he'll wake." Kiba look and saw Akamaru laying next to Naruto. "What happened?" he asked, panicked.

"He stopped Orochimaru from giving me the same hickey he Sasuke." Hinata shivered at the thought while Kiba looked confused, but still worried. "I don't think he's hurt too bad though." Then she yelled, "Sakura! We found Shino!"

Kiba laid Shino next to Naruto and rushed to his partner's side. A moment later, Sakura came down carrying Sasuke on her back. "Is he alright?"

"Took a hit to the noggin, but I'm sure he'll recover soon," Kiba assured her.

Sakura sighed with relief. "And you guys? I brought a first-aid kit with me. I… I'm no medic, but…"

"Thanks, but I think we're fine." ' _Though I am worried about Naruto. I still don't know what Orochimaru did to him,'_ Hinata thought.

"Akamaru's a little banged up, but he just needs some rest," Kiba informed the pink-haired kunoichi before turning back to his partner. "You did good buddy."

"Let's get your teammates somewhere safe," Hinata suggested as she activated her bloodline. "There's a tree not far from here with large roots positioned in a way that can be used for shelter. By the way," Hinata reached into Naruto's pouch and pulled the Heaven Scroll, "this is yours I believe."

Sakura looked at her in shock. "You're… give us back our scroll?"

Hinata nodded. "I'd rather not steal from my comrades. And I want all us rookies to make it past this test. Now, let's go!" Sakura and Kiba nodded and they carried their comrades to safety.  
-

Anko rushed through the Forest of Death. ' _I don't' know why he's here or what he wants, but I don't care! That bastard's gonna pay!'_ She landed on a branch, trying to figure out where he could be.

"It been a while Anko." She turned and threw shurikens toward the voice, and Orochimaru dodged them. "Come now, is that anyway to treat your sensei?"

"It's because you were once my sensei that I have to be the one to end you. Striking Shadow Snakes!" Anko launched snakes from her left sleeve, launching them at the rogue sannin.

He just chuckled and launched the same jutsu, the snakes intertwining between them. "You still have much to learn. Why don't you use that parting gift I gave you? Perhaps then, you might stand a chance."

"I don't need it," Anko said as she retracted her snakes, pulling the sannin as well. She grabbed his hands then formed a sign with her right hand and Orochimaru's left hand. The sannin recognized it. "Ninja Art: Twin Snake Sacrifice Jutsu!"

"You would die to kill me?" he asked, knowing that jutsu killed both the victim and the user.

"In a heartbeat!" Anko responded.

"Pity that won't happen," the sannin said from behind her as the one in front turned to mud, shocking Anko and interrupting the jutsu. She moved to attack, but Orochimaru made a hand sign and pain erupted from the back of her neck.

"What do you want?" she growled with venom in her voice as she gripped her neck where the pain originated from. There was a mark, three black tomoes in a circle. "Are you here to kill Lord Third?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "Not yet, though that day will come. No, I was just visiting one of the village's promising genin, and leaving him a gift."

Anko instantly knew what 'gift' he was talking about. She tried to move forward, but the pain was too much and she dropped to her knees. "Who?" she demanded.

"Why so mad? I'm only helping him avenge his clan."

' _Sasuke Uchiha!'_ she realized. "He'll die."

"True, the odds are 1 in 10 against him, but who knows. After all, you survived those same odds. And if lives, things will definitely be interesting." He began to walk away. "Don't cancel the exams and ruin my fun. If you and Sarutobi-sensei do…" He let the threat linger as he disappeared, knowing any threat he made would not to be taken lightly.  
-

"Alright, we should be safe here," Hinata said as she sat down next to Naruto's unconscious form. They were under the roots of a tree that would shelter them from the elements and hide them from other contestants.

Sakura was tending to Sasuke, who looked like he was in pain and sweating. Sakura felt his forehead. ' _Sasuke's burning up! Whatever that Orochimaru guy did not only left him in pain, but with a fever.'_ "I need someone to get me a cold, damp cloth."

"We got cold water to wet one, but no cloth," Kiba told her, pulling out a large metal water bottle.

"Hand me that please." Kiba obliged. Sakura torn off part of her red dress from the bottom, then poured some water on it and laid it on Sasuke's forehead.

Hinata finished applying her medical balm on Naruto's injuries as well as her own. "Hey!" Sakura turned to the Hyūga and caught the balm. "Apply that to your wounds and his, then pass it to Kiba."

"Thanks." Sakura smiled at her before treating Sasuke's wounds first.

"I'm fine. Don't worry," Kiba assured them. "Shino's fine too, except for the big bump on the back of his head, and Akamaru just needs to rest. I'll keep watch."

"You sure?" Hinata asked him. He nodded to her and made his way out.

Sakura quickly added, "Make sure you don't stay out too long. Wake me to take your place. You need rest too."

"Alright, alright." Kiba walked out and jumped into one of the trees, hiding and looking out for any predators, human or otherwise.

"Thanks for your help," Sakura told Hinata. "Both during the fight, and afterwards."

"Hey, we're both shinobi of the Leaf, aren't we? And we're part of the same graduating class. Of course we'd help."

"I think we both know there are people who don't care about that at all."

"True. Lucky for you, we aren't like that at all," Hinata said. "You should finish applying that balm then head to sleep. We both have a long day ahead of us."

"Yeah, that Orochimaru guy mentioned his Sound genin were coming after Sasuke."

' _And with our luck, they'll be chunin level at the very least,'_ she thought. But she kept this to herself and said. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. Beside, you won't be alone. We'll stay and help you out until Sasuke and Shino are up and alright." Sakura thanked her and after looking at Sasuke with concern once more, when to sleep. Hinata looked at the blond next to her and moved him so his head was on her lap. "We certainly attract some strong foes, don't we Naruto?" she whispered, so as not to wake Sakura. She found herself running her fingers through the locks of his hair, but didn't stop. "I mean, we fought Zabuza and Haku on our first real mission, and now, in our first Chunin Exam just over a month later, we encounter a sannin! And I doubt the coming Sound shinobi will be pushovers. So wake up soon, cause we'll need your help." Naruto showed no signs of hearing her, causing her to sigh. ' _I'm sorry Naruto. Not only were you hurt under my watch, but you had to use the fox's chakra.'_ Her eyes started to droop, and sleep began to take over. ' _If only I were stronger.'  
_ -

Alpha: Zzzzz

Guy: Aw, he looks so peaceful.

Kakashi: Yeah he does. (Pulls out bugle and somehow plays it next to his head through his mask, probably genjutsu. Wakes up Alpha who falls out of bed.)

Alpha: What the hell?!

Guy: Rise and shine! You can't sleep your youth away. You need get out there and show the world your hot-blooded passion!

Alpha: It's too early.

Kakashi: It's 3 in the afternoon.

Alpha: Exactly. (Gets back in bed and pulls on the covers. Kakashi plays the bugle again, but Alpha takes it away and throws it out the window.)

Shikamaru: (Enters) It's too loud. I'm trying to nap.

Alpha: Blame these two. They won't let me sleep.

Shikamaru: Troublesome.

Guy: You two need to get outta the bed. Let's go for a hundred laps around the neighborhood!

Alpha: How about you get a head start and we'll join you later?

Guy: Very well! I shall grab Lee and start! (Runs out of the room.)

Kakashi: You know that won't work on me right?

Alpha: Come on! I was up all night working on this chapter!

Kakashi: _sigh_ Fine.

Alpha: Besides, maybe I'll dream up an idea for the next chapter. Now, good night!

Kakashi: It's afternoon.

Alpha: I said goodnight!

Shikamaru: _yawns_ Night.


	18. Chapter 17 Sound Attack

A/N: This was suppose to be the last chapter of the second test, but it ended up taking longer than expected, so one more after this.

Chapter 17: Second Test, Sound Attack

"Hey, Hinata, wake up." Hinata's eyes slowly opened to the view of Sakura in front of her. Off to the side, Kiba laid asleep next to Shino and Akamaru was stretching. Outside the sun was shining, so it was most likely morning.

"Huh? Oh, Sakura, hey." Hinata felt a weight on her lap and looked down. Naruto's head was still on her lap, her left hand still in his locks. Hinata blushed a bit before gently moving him off. It looked like Sasuke was a bit better. She wondered when Naruto would awaken from whatever Orochimaru did to him. Or if he'd wake up. ' _No! Think positive Hinata. He'll wake up. I'm sure of it!'_ "My turn to take watch?"

"Yeah. I set a little trap earlier." The two kunoichi got up and walked into sun. Sakura explained the trap in a whisper.

"Nice," Hinata commented. "Kakashi-sensei teach you that?"

"Well, I read it in a book. I asked sensei for help and he taught me some basic trapping."

"Really?" Hinata was surprised. She figured Sakura spent all her time fawning over Sasuke.

"Yeah, but it doesn't really feel… me," Sakura explained. "And I'm not that good at it. Took me forever to set up."

"Hey, trapping is an excellent skill. It's like pranking, but deadlier."

"Maybe, but it doesn't help me pull my weight." Sakura told her.

"What do you mean?"

Sakura sighed. "Our first C-rank mission. We were delivering a gift through bandit territory. The in truth, the odds of running into any were small, but he didn't want to take the risk. So we headed to the village to deliver the package."

"Let me guess, you ran into trouble."

Sakura nodded. "A bunch of bandits, ten of them, set up a toll road. We ended up fighting them, with Kakashi-sensei taking on half them, including the leader. Shino and Sasuke each took two and I got the last one. But he was too strong for me. All I could do was block his sword with my kunai. But eventually he knocked my weapon out of my hand and was about to kill me when Shino made his insects form a barrier in between me and the bandit, blocking the attack. But because he was distracted helping me, one the bandits he was fighting punched his gut. I drew shurikens but before I could throw them, both the bandit attacking me and the one that hit Shino were covered with his bugs and were drained of chakra." Sakura looked down, depressed. "I was nothing but a burden then."

"Look, days like that happen. My first C-rank mission, I ended up a pincushion for senbon."

"Yeah, but you fought a jonin!"

"Actually it was his apprentice Haku."

"Wait, the new girl?" Sakura heard about the Haku shortly after he arrived.

"Actually, Haku's a boy. Don't worry, everyone makes that mistake. Kiba even asked him out before the truth was revealed." Sakura giggled, imagining Kiba's reaction. "I'll explain what happened and why he's here now some other time. Anyway, we all have our good days and bad days. Just keep training and you'll prove yourself to be a valuable part of your team."

Sakura smiled at her. "Thanks," she said. The bushes rustled and both girls got ready to fight. A squirrel popped out of the bushes. It moved toward them until the pink-haired girl threw a kunai in front of it, scaring it off.

"Wake Kiba," Hinata ordered. "They're here."

"How do you know?"

"That squirrel had a paper bomb," she explained with disgust at their method. They woke Kiba and saw that Shino was stirring. "Shino, you're up! You ok?"

"I believe so. What ha..." the Aburame stopped when he realized something. "Strange. My hive has been significantly reduced. It couldn't be the work of that jutsu that hit me."

"Well, all I know is you hit your head hard and landed on some plants," Kiba said, standing up.

"What plants?" Shino asked.

Kiba thought for a moment. "I don't know, but they were kinda strange. They looked like they had mouths."

Shino stiffened, then looked downcast. "My insects… My precious hive… Eaten by plants." The others just sweatdropped.

"Um, if you're done," Hinata started, "we've got some Sound shinobi to deal with. Remember the ones that attack Kabuto? They're coming after Sasuke. And the one who attacked you earlier did something to him and Naruto. We give you the whole story later but for now, we need to be ready to fight."

"I'm afraid I cannot assist. Why? Because as I said earlier, my hive has been significantly reduced, apparently due to insectivorous plants. And I cannot risk the rest of my hive. Because of this, my jutsu usage is reduced to academy basics, in addition to limited taijutsu ability I've acquired from Kakashi-sensei. And because my combat skills have been minimized in such a way, I will only be in the way. I will, however, stay here and guard Sasuke and Naruto, should any sneak past you and do my best to keep them safe."

"Um, insecti-what?" Kiba asked.

"Plants that eat insects like mine," Shino clarified.

Hinata sighed. "Alright then, I guess it's just the four of us." Sakura looked confused wondering who the fourth was until Hinata pointed at Akamaru. "No one's getting to them!"

"Are you so sure about that?" The three leaf genin looked outside and saw the three Sound shinobi. "Allow me to introduce us." the hunched one said. "I'm Dosu. This is Zaku and the girl here is Kin. Now be dears and wake Sasuke up so we can kill him."

Sakura exited the root shelter and yelled, "We know you guys are working for that Orochimaru guy! What did he do to Sasuke?" Shino's eyes widened when he heard the sannin's name. Hinata gave him a look that said she'd explain later.

He wasn't the only one surprised. ' _Lord Orochimaru fought them himself? Why? What did she mean when she asked what happened to the Uchiha?'_ Dosu started wondering.

"Don't know what you're talking about and I don't care!" Zaku shouted. "Wake the bastard up so we can kill him!"

"How about this?" Kiba said, "You leave now, and we don't kick your asses!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!" Zaku said sarcastically. "Fine. I'll kill you, then the girls, then Sasuke."

"Wait, Zaku," Dosu said, holding his hand up.

"What is it?" Zaku complained.

Dosu walked a bit closer, then crouched down. "I knew it. This dirt's been dug up recently. And this type of grass doesn't grow here. You know, a trap is useless if you don't hide it well." Sakura looked at him in shock. "That's the reason you threw the kunai near the squirrel. Not because it was our trap, but because it was about to set off yours."

"So we'll just go above," Kin said as she and her teammates jumped into the air toward them. Sakura smirked and used a kunai to cut a wire near her.

"A log trap from above? Damn!" Dosu then put his right hand on the log. "Just kidding." The log broke apart. "A weak trap like that won't stop us." The Leaf genin got ready for combat.

"Leaf Hurricane!" Suddenly, Lee appeared in front of the Sound genin and kicked them away.

"L-Lee?" Sakura stammered, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"I will always be there for you when you are in trouble," Lee said. "Plus, I had a little help." He pointed at the squirrel on his shoulders. Sakura and Hinata guessed that must have been the squirrel that that the bomb earlier.

"Who are you?" Dosu asked.

"I am the handsome blue beast of the Hidden Leaf, Rock Lee."

' _Blue? He looks more green to me.'_ Kiba thought.

"Sakura, do you remember what I said when we first met? I promised to protect you with my life, and I intend to keep that promise." He took the squirrel off his shoulder and let it run off. "Now, I will not let any of you harm a single hair on the fair Sakura's body!"

"What are we, chopped liver?" Kiba mumbled, with Hinata nodding.

"Thanks Lee. I'm glad you're here to help. I appreciate it," Sakura told him.

' _Yes! I did it Guy-sensei! She appreciates me!'_ Lee thought with starry eyes.

Dosu sighed. "Great. I guess it can't be helped. I'll take care of him. Kin, take the boy and his dog. Zaku, deal with the Hyūga. Don't let her get close, or she'll close your chakra points." Dosu launched himself at Lee, who thrust his arm into the ground and pulled up a large tree root. The Sound nin's attack blew chunks of it off.

"There is a trick to your attack, isn't there? That is why I will not simply dodge it. You shouldn't have show us back before the first exam," Lee lectured. ' _Although, I may have to use the Lotus.'_

Hinata dashed at Zaku, who pointed his palms at her. "Slicing Sound Waves!" The young heiress found herself blasted back. "Ha! You think I'm gonna let you get close? With the modification made to my body, I can blast you back with my hands anytime you try to get close!"

"Thanks for the info, stupid," Hinata mumbled quietly as she got back on her feet. Zaku blasted at her again, but she managed to dodge. However, he was doing a real good job at keeping her at a distance. ' _Ok, fine. If that's how you want to play it…'_ She drew shurikens from her pouch and threw them.

"Nice gift, but I think I'll return them." Zaku used his jutsu to send the projectiles right back at her. Pulling out a kunai, she deflected the shurikens, but was knocked back by the air he launched. She dropped a smoke pellet that covered her in smoke. "You think that'll help you?" He blasted the smoke away. "Hmm, where are you hiding?" He saw Hinata come out from behind a tree out of the corner of his eye. "Got cha!" Zaku blasted her, but she puffed away. "What?" Suddenly, he received a palm strike from behind. ' _She tricked me with a clone.'_ (Just to be clear, it was a normal clone. She doesn't know shadow clones.)

Kiba and Akamaru in Man-Beast clone form rushed at Kin, who jumped back throwing senbon with bells on them. They dodged and attacked. "Fang Over Fang!" Kin slid under them and threw more senbon with bells. Kiba dodged easily, but didn't notice the ones without bells until it was almost too late and barely moved to avoid a vital spot. "Damn, that was close, but you won't fool me aga…" He was interrupted by the sound of bells behind him. He soon found he started losing control of his body, same with Akamaru."

"Too easy. You see, these bells emit a special sound vibration. Loss of motor control comes first. Then the hallucinations." Kiba covered his ears. "Too late for that. Once you hear it, you can't block it out." Kin started splitting into multiple Kins. "It's hopeless. You've lost! You can't even move your body and if you could, how would you know which one was real?" The Kins pulled out senbon. "Lets see, how should I kill you? Quick and painless? Nah, I prefer nice and slow." They threw senbon. It seemed numerous, but only three hit him. "Oh, I just had a better I idea! Since you seem to be the real guy, I'm assuming that's your pup? Well, maybe I should take care of him first!"

"You've made… two mistakes." Kiba told her. "One, you threatened my partner!" Kiba suddenly used Tunneling Fang, hitting a shocked Kin. She was sent back into a tree, knocked out. "And two, you used genjutsu on a student of Kurenai-sensei. Give us time and we can escape it."

Dosu was struggling against Lee, who would pull up a root every time Dosu attacked to block. ' _We've reached a stalemate. He won't risk getting close and I can't hit him. Only way to break the stalemate…'_ He looked at Sakura, who was watching the fights and rushed at her.

Lee say this. ' _He hopes to use Sakura as a hostage! I won't let him! Guy-sensei, it seems the condition has been met to use the Lotus.'_ Lee remembered his sensei's warnings about how this jutsu would harm his body, which was why it was forbidden unless a condition was met. ' _To protect someone precious!'_ Lee started untying his bandages and disappeared. Reappearing under Dosu, he kicked the Sound nin into the air and appeared behind him, wrapping bandages around him. Lee then grabbed him and flipped so that their heads were facing the ground. As they fell, Lee started spinning. "Primary Lotus!"

Zaku recovered from Hinata's attack and saw Dosu fall. ' _Damn, he's done for unless I do something.'_ He blasted at Hinata to keep her at a distance, then used his jutsu to soften the ground where Dosu was about to land. Before turning his attention back to the Hyūga girl.

Dosu got out of the hole in the ground made when Lee finished piledriving him. He saw that Zaku was still fighting Hinata while Kin was out cold. ' _She got careless.'_ He saw Lee and noticed he was looking a little worse for wear. ' _That jutsu must put a strain on the user.'_ "That was a truly fearsome jutsu. Nearly took me out even though the dirt was softened. But now it's my turn!" He rushed at Lee and threw a punch. Lee moved back to dodge, but he once the attack passed in front of him, he fell to his knees and gagged, his ears bleeding.

"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba and Akamaru came to Lee's aid. Dish blocked with the device and soon both boy and dog dropped to the ground. Kiba was clutching his ears and Akamaru, back in puppy form, was howling in pain.

Sakura looked wide eyed. Dosu smirked and lifted up his right hand. "See this gauntlet of mine? It lets me manipulate sound. And when the human eardrum is exposed to sound levels over 150 Mhz, it breaks. And if the sound is strong enough to disrupt the fluid in the inner ear canals, your balance is impossible to maintain. So you see, I don't even have to hit any of you with my fist. All I need is sound."

"Let Sakura go!" Lee demanded, trying to stand but falling over.

"You might as well give up. You won't be getting up for awhile." He turned to Sakura. "And now it's your turn!"

Dosu rushed at Sakura. Lee used all his willpower to force his body to intercept. "Leaf Hurricane!" He kicked at Dosu, but the damage from using the Lotus as well as the effects of the Sound nin's jutsu rendered it ineffective as Dosu easily dodged.

"No good now, but I'm impressed that you can still stand. I'll have to fix that!" He punched and Lee blocked, but Dosu smirked. "Sound is vibration. And the vibrations made by the impact are being amplified and transformed into waves of sound! And with my chakra, I can direct it at any target I desire! Do you get it now? You can't beat me!" Lee collapsed, unable to take anymore. Dosu raised his arm. "Now to finish you."

"Get away from him!" Sakura shouted, throwing kunai.

Dosu blocked with his gauntlet. "Oh, I actually forgot about you. My bad. Little tip, don't shout before you attack."

Zaku was getting annoyed. "Alright, enough holding back!" Zaku sent another blast of air that Hinata barely managed to dodge. The tree that was behind her ended up with a large impact. "Ha, that's nothing! I can turn boulders into pebbles!" he boasted.

"You may have power, but your aim sucks!" Hinata taunted. Zaku growled as he shot at Hinata again. ' _Doubt the same trick will work twice on him. Maybe I can get him to use up his chakra.'_ She dodged yet another devastating attack only to hear Sakura cry out in pain. Using her Byakugan to look without taking her eyes off of Zaku, she saw Dosu holding Sakura by her hair with his left hand while Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee were on the ground. ' _Great, things just keep getting better,'_ she thought sarcastically.

"Too easy. Maybe if you spent more time on your ninja skills as you do on your hair, you might have put up a better fight. But that's a moot point. You're gonna die here and now." He raised his right arm.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shino stand up. ' _Not good. Shino doesn't have enough bugs to fight him. And Hinata's busy with the other one, while Lee, Kiba, and Akamaru are down for the count. I have to do something!'_ She grabbed a kunai from the ground and cut her long hair, escaping Dosu clutches. The Sound nin dashed at her, but right before he could hit her she substituted with a log, which shattered after impact.

"If you're the best your village can offer, the Sound must really be pathetic," Hinata yelled at Zaku, who growled in anger. ' _Perfect.'_ Zaku launched his jutsu again, and once more, Hinata dodged. However, what he didn't notice was that Dosu was behind her before, so he was blown back.

"Idiot," Dosu mumbled.

' _I think it might be time to use that technique.'_ He was distracted, however, when Sakura came out of the bushes and threw kunai. Zaku used his jutsu to send them back at her, but she substituted again. Sakura appeared from above, kunai in hand. Zaku just threw kunai at her, not caring about accuracy as he assumed she would just substitute again. As he looked for her, he felt blood drop on him and looked up. Sakura was still falling toward him, with cuts from the kunai he threw. "What, she didn't…" He was interrupted when Sakura landed on him her kunai about to stab him in the heart. Luckily for him, he managed to move his right arm, so she stabbed that instead. He moved his other arm to blast her off, but she bit his hand and pinned it to the ground. "Ah! Get off me!" He started punching her head.

Hinata moved to help, until she heard, "Forget about me?" She turned and saw Dosu Rush at her. He was about to strike when he stopped. "What? Can't… move."

"Shadow Possession, complete!" Shikamaru said in front of some bushes. His shadow was connected to Dosu's. The rest of Team 10 revealed themselves. "You guys look like you're in a predicament. It's a drag, but we'll help."

"You losers? Help?" Zaku started laughing, no longer punching Sakura, who in her shock, let go of him. "What's fatso gonna do? Sit on me?" he joked, pointing at Choji.

"What was that?" Choji asked, clutching his fists. "I don't think I quite heard you right."

' _Oh shit.'_ Hinata, Shikamaru, and Ino thought. The word 'fat' was taboo around Choji, or any Akimichi. No one called them that unless they were looking for a world of hurt.

"Aw, what's wrong fatty? The truth hurt?" Zaku mocked as he got up and walked to him. Hinata quickly recovered Sakura, so she wouldn't end up collateral damage.

"I'M NOT FAT! I'M BIG-BONED!" Choji shouted with flames in his eyes. "Alright guys let's take them down!"

' _Troublesome. He brought this on himself. I almost pity him.'_

' _Yep, Choji's all fired up now,'_ Ino thought. Alright, let's go Team Ino!" Shikamaru wondered when that happened, but knew better than to bring it up, even if they weren't about to fight. "Formation: Ino..."

"Shika…"

"Cho!" Choji finished. "Human Boulder!" Choji expanded his gut, giving him a round shaped, then retracted his head and limbs. Finally, he propelled himself using chakra at Zaku.

"Slicing Sound Waves!" Zaku countered, sending a continuous blast of air pressure at the incoming Akimichi. The blast stopped Choji from advancing, but that's all. Choji's jutsu was still active and he was still trying to propel himself forward. Zaku struggled to keep him from advancing any further. Then, Choji bounced up into the air and Zaku barely moved in time to avoid being crushed. He looked at Dosu, who struggled to free himself from Shikamaru's shadow possession, but to no avail. He then saw his other teammate open her eyes and stand. "It's about time! Hurry up and help me Kin!" he yelled as he avoided Choji again.

But Kin just grabbed a kunai and placed it against her throat. "Here's what's gonna happen," she said. "You two surrender and hand over your scroll, then leave. If you don't, Kin here dies."

Zaku and Dosu looked confused until they notice Ino unconscious next to Shikamaru. ' _She must have used some jutsu to take over Kin's body,'_ Dosu concluded. He and Zaku smirked, confusing everyone. Zaku aimed his hand at 'Kin' and shot at her. 'Kin's' eyes widened and Choji moved to intercept. He succeeded, partially. While he took the brunt of the jutsu, 'Kin' was knocked back into a tree, blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth. Over at Ino's body, blood came out of her mouth too. Choji's jutsu ended and he was left dizzy.

"What the hell?" Ino shouted, still in Kin's body. "What kind of people attack their comrade?"

Dosu just chuckled. "We don't care about the exams. We're here for one reason only, to kill Sasuke Uchiha. If one of us has to die to achieve our goal, so be it. Kin knew the risks." The Leaf genin looked at him in shock. Dosu looked down and saw Shikamaru's shadow detach from his. "So, your jutsu is only good for about five minutes. And from the blood pouring out of the girl's mouth, if I kill Kin, she dies." He looked at Zaku, who nodded pointed his hand at Kin.

"You wouldn't!" Hinata said, holding Sakura up.

"Hmph, you Leaf shinobi are too soft," Zaku commented as he got ready to kill his possessed teammate. "Nothing but hacks."

"Pathetic." Everyone turned to see Neji and Tenten standing on a tree branch. "You Sound shinobi act all tough when all you've done is beat a bunch of rookies fresh out of the academy. How sad."

"Lee!" Tenten looked at her teammate on the ground with concern, wondering how they beat him.

Neji, however, just sigh. "You screwed up, didn't you Lee." He shook his head. "Still, he's our teammate and we won't tolerate this." He activated his Byakugan. "We'll show you how real Leaf shinobi fight. Tenten, we'll go at full power." She nodded and pulled out some scrolls. However, Neji stiffened and deactivated his eyes. Tenten asked what was wrong, but he ignored her. ' _This chakra… What is it?'_ "On second though, it seems the matter has been taken out of my hands."

Dosu and Zaku looked at him confused, until they felt it. They and the others turned to see Sasuke exerting sinister, purple chakra. He rose, Sharingan activated, a glowing flame pattern covering the left half of his skin, and the chakra forming an aura similar to Naruto's when he used the Nine-Tails's power. All the rookies and Tenten shuddered, feeling the intense chakra. Even Dosu looked nervous. Truth was, he was the most afraid. ' _That's…'_

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked.

"S-Sasuke?" Sakura said, shocked as she pulled away from Hinata. "Are you… ok?"

"I'm fine Sakura," Sasuke answered and the flames stopped glowing and turned black. ' _In fact, I've never felt this good! This power… It's immense! I can feel it! Overwhelming power!'_ "So this is Orochimaru's gift," he whispered.

Dosu heard him. ' _So it is the Curse Mark! Given to him to him by Lord Orochimaru himself. But why send us after him, unless…'_

"I'm only gonna ask one more time," Sasuke said to the Sound genin. "What's going on?"

"We were just having fun with your friends here," Zaku answered with a smirk.

"Zaku, no!" Dosu pleaded, but his teammate ignored him.

"We were after you, but you decided to take a nap, so had to play with your friends here and things got, well, rough."

"I see," Sasuke said, giving him a glare.

"Ino!" 'Kin' looked at Shikamaru, who was hiding in the bushes with Choji and her body. "Get back in your body. Something tells me things are about to get very troublesome!" She nodded and released the jutsu.

"What's going on?" Choji asked.

"I have no idea," Shikamaru answered. "But it ain't good, that's for sure."

The flame marks on Sasuke's skin glowed again and started to spread to the rest of his body.

Dosu was panicking internally. ' _His chakra, it's huge! Powerful! We can't fight him!'_ He looked at his teammate, who clearly had no intention of leaving. ' _Damn it Zaku! Don't do anything stupid! I know you can feel his chakra too!'_

"What's wrong Dosu? Our target finally wakes up and you turn chicken?"

"Wait, Zaku! He…"

"He's dead! And so are his friends! I'll kill them all with a single attack!" He put his hands together. "Super Sonic Slicing Wave!" A large, visible blast of air pressure shot out of Zaku's palms and engulfed the area where Hinata, Sakura, and Sasuke were. And when the dust cleared, they were gone. "Ha! Blew them all away!"

"Thinks so." Before Zaku could turn his head, Sasuke backhanded him from behind, Hinata and Sakura with him.

"Guess this makes us even," Hinata told him.

' _Such speed! He managed to get them and himself out of the way in the blink of an eye!'_ Dosu thought.

Sasuke wasn't done. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" He shot a few small fireballs at Zaku. He extinguished the flames with his jutsu, only to reveal shurikens hidden in them. While they cut Zaku, Sasuke got behind him, grabbing his arms and planting his foot on the Sound nin's back. "These arms, you seem awfully proud of them." He started pulling. "In fact, I'd say you're 'attached' to them."

"Ah! St-stop!" Zaku pleaded.

"Hmm, but not for long." He pulled harder, and kept pulling until he dislocated them from Zaku's shoulders. He then turned to Dosu. "Now it's your turn. Try to make it more interesting than your friend did." He started walking toward him.

"W-wait!" Dosu dug into his pouch and turned up an Earth Scroll. "Here! Take it! Just let us leave!" ' _Damn you Orochimaru! You didn't want us to kill him! You want to test him! Well, he passes!'_

"And why would I do that, when I could just kill you and take it anyway?" Sasuke argued.

' _That's… That's not Sasuke! It can be!'_ "Sasuke stop! Please!" Sakura cried as she hugged Sasuke from behind. Sasuke stopped for a second, before he continued forward, dragging a pleading Sakura with him.

Hinata got in front of him and firmly gripped the Uchiha's shoulder, before giving him a hard look, Byakugan active. "Enough! It's over. Let it go Sasuke." Without breaking eye contact, she spoke to Dosu. "We accept your surrender. Leave the scroll, gather your teammates, and get out of here!" Dosu nodded and did just that. As he left, he promised next time, they would not run. Sasuke was not happy to see his prey leave, but relented, though he wasn't sure why. The curse mark receded and Sasuke fell back, feeling the aftereffects of the curse mark. Hinata released him and Sakura caught him.

"Well, we'll just pick up Lee and be on our way," Neji said, dropping down with Tenten. ' _That chakra wasn't normal. And it was quite powerful. You may be an interesting opponent after all, Sasuke Uchiha.'_ He picked up Lee and slung him over his shoulders before leaving, Tenten behind him.

"Alright, let's all take a rest," Hinata suggested, the others nodding. Sasuke said nothing but moved away from Sakura and sat against a tree root. Hinata returned to Naruto side. Apparently, recent events still haven't stirred him. Hinata grew worried and contemplated what to do when it hit her.  
-

"Excuse me Anko," a Leaf chunin started, "but…"

"What is it? We dealing with something important here!" Anko snapped. With her were two ANBU. She was explaining her encounter with Orochimaru and telling them they couldn't cancel the test.

"I'm sorry, but I need you to take a look at this." He held up a tape. Anko motioned him to play it, wondering what was so important. "Once it starts, look at the time," he told them as he put the tape in the video player. The video showed Gaara and his team just as they entered the tower. The special jonin and two ANBU were shocked when the looked at the time table.

"No way," Anko said in disbelief. "They beat the second test in only an hour and thirty-seven minutes?"

"Yeah, these guys definitely aren't genin level. They beat the previous record set by the Fourth Hokage and his team by four hours!"

"That's not all," one of the ANBU said.

"Yeah, I see it too," Anko said.

"What? What else in there?" the chunin asked.

"Look at the red-head with the gourd," Anko told him.

The chunin examined him. "What am I looking at? He looks fine to me."

"Exactly. It's 10 kilometers from the gate to the tower," Anko explained. "The journey is filled with ferocious beasts, dangerous foliage, and there's the other contestants you have to fight for their scroll. And yet, this guy doesn't even have a scratch on him."

The chunin's eyes widened. "Your right. I see no signs of injuries. His clothes aren't even torn. You'd never guess he just spent time in our most dangerous training grounds."

Anko nodded. "It should be impossible to get through the second part of the exams without some sort of injury. No one has done so before, ever! This guy… He's not normal. And it gives me a bad feeling." The ANBU couldn't help but agree.  
-

' _Mmm, what's that heavenly smell? Is that… miso ramen?'_ Naruto's eyes slowly opened to see Hinata holding a cup of instant ramen near his face. Naruto blushed at how close she was.

"Hey, it work! Maybe Kiba wasn't kidding when he said ramen could wake you from a coma," Hinata said with a smile as she helped him sit up then handed him the ramen cup, "I was getting worried. You were out of it for awhile."

"S-sorry," Naruto apologised.

"Ah, forget it. It's not your fault. I worry because I care. Now eat up."

"N-not just that," he said softly. "I u-used it again. I c-can r-remember, s-sort of. I r-remember t-that y-you l-looked at m-me s-shocked."

Hinata knew what he was talking about. "Yeah, I was shocked. Your features change a little when you go like that. It was weird, seeing you with red eyes. Personally, I prefer your blue ones. They're a lot cuter." Naruto blushed as she complemented his eyes. "Really, you have nothing to worry about. You saved me and Kiba from being snake food, or worse."

"B-but she beat me. I w-wasn't any real h-help," he said dejectedly.

"Ok, you lost, true. But in all fairness, he was a sannin,"

"Sannin? He?" ' _Do I really suck at telling boys from girls?'_ Naruto wondered.

"Well, the sannin are legendary shinobi, trained by the Third Hokage himself and veterans of the last two great wars. There are three of them. The one we fought, Orochimaru, went rogue and disguised himself as the woman we fought. Honestly, I think the fact that we survived is quite the accomplishment!" Hinata put a hand on his shoulder. "Really, quite worrying."

"I, I w-worry because I c-care," Naruto threw back, making Hinata laugh.

"Well, let me tell you what happened while you were out." While Naruto ate, Hinata explained how Orochimaru fought Sasuke then bit his neck before almost doing same to her, quickly adding that he failed thanks to Akamaru when she saw his concern. Then went on to the fight with the Sound genin and Sasuke's strange chakra. "Must be what Orochimaru did to him. It actually reminded me of you when use you-know-what, though I trust you way more than I do Sasuke."

"I-if it's a-anything l-like what I've g-got, I'm g-glad you don't h-have."

"Yeah," Hinata said, looking downward. "I guess," she mumbled. Truthfully, she was a little envious of the power. ' _If I had it, maybe I'd be able to protect everyone better. Especially since we attract some really strong opponents.'_

"S-so everyone's a-alright?" Naruto asked.

Hinata left her thoughts gave him a reassuring look. "Everyone's in one piece. No one's dead or dying."

"Good," he said, relieved. He looked around. Kiba was nearby nursing his ears, as well as Akamaru's. Ino was with her team. She glanced over at his direction with a look of discomfort. Sasuke was with his team. He caught Naruto's gaze and gave him a strange look, like he had won something. ' _He must be referring to the power Hinata mentioned, thinking it could rival the power in me.'_ He expected to hear the Nine-Tails shout in outrage, but he heard nothing. ' _Must be napping.'_ Naruto stood up. "Um, I'm g-gonna t-take a l-look around. S-see if anyone's c-coming."

"You sure?" Hinata asked. Naruto nodded as he got up. "Then I'm coming too."

Naruto shook his head. "Y-you should r-rest. You w-were in a f-fight not t-too long ago. I-I'll be alright."

Hinata thought for a moment. "Ten minutes. Then I'll join you." Naruto nodded, then got up and jumped into the trees.

"Where's Naruto going?" Sakura asked, curious why the blond had gone off.

"He's keeping an eye out for anyone who decides to attack us now. I'll join him soon."

Sakura nodded. "Hey um, we've been talking about it and, well, here." She tossed her a Heaven scroll.

Hinata was about to protest when Shino spoke. "It's our way of thanking you for your assistance. And do not worry. Why? Because even with the time it'll take for my hive to repopulate and our injuries to heal, there will still be time for us to gather another in order to pass."

Hinata tried to argue, but they wouldn't have it. Sasuke seemed indifferent to the whole thing. "Since you guys insist so much, we'll take it. Thanks."  
-

Naruto jumped from tree to tree, looking around. ' _No one coming so far.'_ Then he heard a scream. ' _What was that?'_ He ran in the direction of the noise. There, he saw a girl being chased by a huge, brown bear. The girl had red hair that ended level with her chin in the back and crimson eyes behind brown, round glasses. She wore an unzipped light brown jacket with short sleeves and a dark orange stripe across the center, a mesh shirt and stockings, a purple skirt and black sandals. She had the Grass protector on her forehead and in her hands was an Earth Scroll. The look of terror was plastered on her face as the bear started to catch up. Naruto jumped into the air. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto made seven clones with drawn kunai that stabbed the bear in the back. It roared and quicky rolled. The real Naruto jumped off, but the clones weren't so lucky as they were crushed. Once on it's paws again, the bear slashed at Naruto, who dodged but got cut on his left arm. The bear slammed it's two front paws where Naruto was, but he jumped into the air and kicked it's head hard, knocking it out. Naruto walked over to the shocked Grass genin. "Y-you alright?"

The girl was surprised that her rescuer sounded so shy. "Yeah, thanks, um…"

"N-Naruto. M-my name's Naruto."

"Oh, well, thank you Naruto. Wait a sec, you're that genin! The one who said said all that stuff in the first test?" Naruto nodded, embarrassed. Those words were more for himself than anyone else. "Anyway, thanks again. I guess I should give you this." She held out her scroll.

Naruto shook his head and reached into his pouch. "I-I already h-have that one," he said, pulling his out. "B-beside, wouldn't your t-teammates be mad?"

The girl looked down. "Yeah, they would if…" She trailed off and Naruto could see lone tear drop from her eye.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said softly.

"It's fine." The redhead wiped the tear. "We weren't friends. Not really. But still, they were my teammates."

"H-hey, you can c-come with me a-and my team," Naruto offered. "I'm s-sure they won't mind."

"Really?" The girl perked up. "Sure. Oh, wait, I never told you my name. I'm Karin."  
-

Alpha: Yep. Karin is here. How will Naruto react when he learns she's an Uzumaki? Stay tuned for another glorious chapter of "Naruto Uzumaki, the Shy Jinchūriki"!

Karin: I wonder if I'll get to be with Sasuke. (Has hearts in her eyes imagining it)

Alpha: You realise Sasuke's chakra will be darker than it was at this time in canon?

Sakura: Besides, Sasuke's mine!

Karin: Mine!

Sakura: Mine!

Karin: Mine!

Sakura: MINE!

Karin: MINE! ( Ino soon joins them)

Alpha: _sighs_ Did they forget Sasuke's a jerk in this fic.


	19. Chapter 18 Second Test, Finished

A/N: Allow me to correct myself from last chapter. Sasuke is a 'bigger' jerk in this fic. My first plan was to make Karin a Sasuke fangirl, but after some thinking and your reviews, I changed my mind. What attracted Karin to Sasuke was, first of all, the fact that he saved her from the bear. Second was his strong chakra. Now, he didn't save her and his chakra isn't as appealing as it was when Karin first felt it. Also, I'm sure some people will ask this so let me say this now: I am not giving Naruto chakra chains like his mother. He has the Rinnegan, I think that's enough. At best, he'll be able to do the healing bite and that's a maybe.

Chapter 18: Second Test, Finished

Ten minutes had passed since Naruto went off. Hinata was about to go after him when he returned, with a red-haired girl in tow, surprising everyone, especially since she was a grass kunoichi. "Um, care to explain, Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"T-this is Karin. I f-found her being c-chased and decided to h-help. She l-lost her teammates and I o-offered to help her."

Hinata looked at her for a sec. "Oh, well, I guess we could… Wait! What happened to your arm?"

Naruto looked at his arm. The wound the bear gave him was still on his arm. ' _Strange. It should have healed at least a bit by now.'_ Hinata pulled out her balm, but this time Naruto didn't protest. ' _What's up with the Fox?'_

Karin took this time to observe them all as they introduced themselves. She was familiar with some of the Leaf's ninja clans from her studies back at the Hidden Grass. She recognised the Hyūga by her eyes, the Inuzuka by the red marks on his face and the pup by his side. She also recognised the Uchiha by the crest on his shirt. Using her unique sensory skills, she took in each of their chakra. ' _The one with the sunglasses has different chakra signatures on him that aren't human. Must be an Aburame.'_ When she got to Sasuke, she shivered. ' _His chakra… It's strong, but dark and cold. Unwelcoming.'_ Finally, she focused on Naruto, and blushed. ' _His chakra is strong too, but the opposite. It's so warm and bright, so inviting, yet hesitant at the same time.'_ She found herself attracted to it and hugged Naruto from behind, resting her head against him, shocking everyone. "Thank you again for rescuing me Narutoooo," Karin said, drawing out the 'o'.

Naruto blushed, wondering what was going on. Hinata didn't have that problem as a tick mark appeared on her forehead. ' _Hands off!'_ She pulled Naruto toward her and said, "Well, I think we should know more about you. Why don't you sit over there," ' _Away from my Naruto.'_ "and tell us about yourself."

' _Um, this is weird,'_ Naruto thought as Hinata separated him and Karin. ' _What's going on?'_

Everyone sat in a circle. Ino and Sakura sat next to Sasuke. Next to Ino was her team and next to Sakura was Shino, then Kiba, then Naruto. Hinata was next to him, forcing Karen to sit between her and Choji. "So," Sakura started. "Tell us about yourself. I see you're from the Hidden Grass."

"Yeah. My mom fled there when her village was destroyed, along with most of our clan," Karin told them.

"Clan?" Shino asked. Sasuke looked curious as well.

"Yeah. My mom came from the Hidden Whirlpool Village in the Land of Eddies. I'm sure you guys know all about it." She notice everyone looked confused. "Didn't you guy learn about the Land of Eddies?" They all shook there heads. "Seriously? Nothing. Not even the clan who founded it? My clan?" Again, the shook their heads. "I don't believe it. Your ninja wear our symbol on their jackets as a sign of friendship to remember us after the village was destroyed in the last great war. There it is." She pointed at Naruto's left shoulder, which had a white swirl on it. "That's it right there. You guys just normally wear it red." The Leaf genin nodded. They saw the swirl on the back of the flak jackets of their shinobi. "I can't believe none of you have heard of the Uzumaki Clan."

Everyone's eyes widened, though no one saw Shino's due to his glasses. They all looked at Naruto, who was the most shocked of all. "Uzu..maki… clan?" He reacted the only way he could. He fainted.

"So, I take it you've heard of us?" Karin asked while Hinata tried to wake Naruto..

"Not quite," Shino answered. "We were unaware of your clan's existence. However, we know of another Uzumaki."

"Really? Who?" Karin asked, anxious to meet another from her clan. "I hope I get to meet him. Or her."

"You already have," Sakura answered, pointing at the blond boy now waking up.

"What? You're an Uzumaki too? That's great!"

"S-so, this m-means we're r-related?" Naruto asked. ' _Do I have living family?'_

"I guess we have a distant relation." Karin said. ' _Distant enough that it won't be a problem or weird for us to be together,'_ she mentally added. ' _Besides, most clans marry others in the same clan anyway, like the Hyūga and Uchiha.'_ "So you had no idea you were a part of a clan?" Naruto shook his head causing her to frown. "Want to know about it?"

Naruto looked excited and got ready to move toward her when Hinata spoke. "Ok, as much as I want to hear this, we should really get going." Naruto looked sad. "But, since you're coming with us, you can tell us later."

"Oh, that reminds me." Karin pulled out her scroll. "Anyone need an Earth Scroll?"

"We'll take it." Shikamaru said. "Now we can try to avoid any troublesome encounters."

"Whatever, we can get the last scroll we need easily." Sasuke said standing up.

"I recommend we all go our separate ways," Shino said. "Why, because while there is strength in numbers, we'll be able to move faster and remain undetected longer." Shikamaru nodded in agreement.

As Team 8 with Karin left, Sasuke looked in their direction. ' _So he is from a clan. But it changes nothing in my opinion. He's still an unworthy loser.'_

It was the third day of the second exams when Team 8 and friend arrived at the tower in the center of the Forest of Death. During the journey, Karin told Naruto how the Uzumaki were seal masters with long lifespans. She also mentioned that some Uzumaki were able to produce chakra chains, though it was rare, as well as heal by having the injured bite them. She told them about her mother and how she died because she used up too much chakra using the healing bites. "So, is this the end?" Karin asked as they looked at the doors. "I mean, will they even let me in? I'm not on your team, and I'm basically out of the exams."

"We'll talk with whoever's inside," Hinata assured her. The redhead nodded. The others began to enter the building when Hinata stopped Karin. "Listen, I can see you have feelings for Naruto since he saved you."

"It's not only that. He has such warm chakra. Too bad your Byakugan doesn't allow you to feel it." Karin had explained her sensory ability to the others as well. When asked how the bear snuck up on her team earlier, Karin explained that she was asleep. "Anyway, I can see you like him too. So I'm guessing I'm a problem to you."

"Look, there's no way I'm letting you have Naruto. But you are important to him, since you are of the same clan, so I'm willing to be nice. Besides, I have no intention of acting like Ino and Sakura did when they both realised they had the same crush on Sasuke. So, what do you say? Wanna try and be friends?"

Karin was surprised. She expected the Hyūga heiress to tell her to get lost and stay away from her man. "S-sure," she said, shocked, but glad.

Hinata smiled. "Good." She was about to open the door when she turned around. "Oh, one more thing. If you do anything to hurt Naruto, I will hunt you down and use you as a training dummy!" She said that with her Byakugan activated. "Clear?" Karin nodded quickly and Hinata deactivated her bloodline and smiled. "Glad we're on the same page." She entered the tower.

' _Thankfully I have no intention of hurting him. She's scary,'_ Karin thought as she followed shortly behind. ' _Not scary enough for me to back down though.'_

To their surprise, there was no one in the room, and no other door visible. "What now?" Kiba asked.

Hinata was about to use her Byakugan when Naruto pointed to the wall. "T-there's something written t-there."

"It looks like a poem or something," Hinata commented. She started to read it. "If qualities of Heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If Earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack. When Heaven and Earth are opened together, the perilous path becomes righteous forever. This 'something' is the secret way that guides us from this place today."

"This something?" Karin asked.

"There's a word missing, but I think the poem is a clue,"

"And that is…" Kiba asked.

"Um, m-maybe we open the s-scrolls at t-the same t-time?" Naruto offered.

"But weren't we told not to open them?" Kiba asked.

"Anko said we couldn't until we reach the tower. Well, here we are." Hinata nodded at Naruto, who took out the scrolls and handed the Earth one over to her. "On three. One. Two. Three!" She and Naruto opened the scrolls at the same time, but were confused by the contents. It was the kanji for person in a circle with unfamiliar symbols around it. "What is this?" Soon, however, a bulge appeared where the kanji is and started smoking.

"Drop them! It's a summoning jutsu!" Karin shouted. They did just that and jumped away. Smoke engulfed the area in front of them and when it clear, they were surprised to see who appeared.

"Iruka-sensei?"Kiba asked.

"Hey guys. It's been awhile," Iruka said with a smile. "Congratulations on passing the the second part of the Chunin Exams! I'm proud of all four of…" He stopped. "Wait, why are there four of you?"

"I'm Karin, a member of the Uzumaki Clan." Iruka looked a bit surprised "Naruto here saved me from a bear after I… After my teammates died." Karin looked sad. Iruka didn't blame her. "He offered to let me come with him and his teammates agreed." She grabbed his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. "Isn't he great?"

"Yeah, he is," Hinata said as she pulled him away from her.

Iruka chuckled a little. ' _Looks like Naruto's gotten popular with the ladies. And the poor boy doesn't even have a clue,'_ Iruka thought, noting the boy's confused face. "Well, I'm afraid you're out of the exams, but I guess we could let you stay here with them. I'll have to ask, but I doubt they'll throw you out. Anyway like I was saying, good job passing the second part. Most rookies don't make it this far. I'd love to treat you all to some Ichiraku ramen," Naruto's face lit up, "but that'll have to wait until the second part is over for everyone." The blond's face fell. "Anyway, I'm sure you're curious about the writing here." The chunin pointed to the wall with the poem. "These are instructions a chunin should follow. You see, Heaven refers to the mind, and Earth is your body. 'If qualities of Heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom and take your mind higher.' Do you get it?"

"I think so," Karin said. "It means that if your weakness is in your intelligence, that you have to train your mind through study and experience."

"Correct. The same with Earth. If you are physically weak, you need to train your body to become stronger. 'If Heaven and Earth are opened together, the perilous path becomes righteous forever.' This isn't just a clue on how to use the scrolls. It means that if your mind and body are working together, a difficult mission is made easier. Never neglect one for the other. A true shinobi is one who trains both body and mind, utilizing the advantages of both. Before you continue into the tower, remember this, a chunin is a leader, who must know the strengths and weaknesses of those under him, then properly use them to succeed in a mission."

"Got it sensei!" Hinata said.

"Well, that's all I have to say as messenger. A hidden door on the wall behind him opened up. "Good job and good luck!"

"Wait, sensei." Iruka looked at Hinata. "Why didn't you teach us about the Uzumaki Clan?"

Iruka frowned and started to think. "It wasn't in the curriculum, though I don't know why. They were very close to the Senju Clan. In fact, the First Hokage's wife was from the Uzumaki Clan. I wonder why they were left out."  
-

It was the fifth day of the second test, Naruto and his team along with Karin were resting up after surviving the last test. The examiners allowed her to stay in the tower. Team 10 and Team 7 had passed, as well as Team Guy and Kabuto's team. The Sound team managed to obtain two scrolls and passed too. The Sand Siblings were the first to pass. All of them were gathered in a single area. The room had stands on three of the walls with two stairways to get there. The fourth wall had a statue of two arms, the hands together to form the ram hand sign. Karin was in the stands with her sensei, a dark-haired man in sunglasses wearing a closed black trenchcoat, black pants, and his Grass protector on his forehead. The rest of the genin, the ones who passed the second part, were standing in front of the proctors, their senseis, and the Hokage. ' _Twenty-one left. And that includes all the rookies. That's a surprise,'_ Anko thought.

"Well Kakashi, it looks like your genin passed as well. I'm impressed," Guy said. "But since my team is here, your team doesn't stand a chance. They had a good run, but it's over now."

"Hmm? You say something?" Kakashi asked.

' _Damn you and your hip ways Kakashi!'_ Guy thought.

"I think you guys are forgetting my team," Kurenai whispered as she pointed at Team 8. "They're no pushovers."

"Congratulations all of you," the Hokage started. "You have done well to get this far. Before we continue however, I need to tell all of you about the true purpose of the exams."

' _The true purpose?'_ many wondered.

"Why do you think there's a single exam for all the villages? To increase the strength of our shinobi, as well as strengthen bonds of friendship amongst the other villages. These are all true. But there is another, unspoken reason that you must understand. The exams are, so to speak, a substitute for war." Many genin gasped at that. "They represent battles between allied nations. You see, we all use to battle each other for power. It was decided that instead of destroying each other's military strength meaninglessly, it was decided that each nation would pick champions to do battle at mutually selected locations. This is the origin of the Chunin Exams. Of course, the purpose is still to choose those worthy of the title of the rank of chunin. That's just not it's only purpose. It's also where shinobi of the different villages do battle with each other, carrying the pride of their nation on their backs. During the third and final part of the exams, many leaders and prominent figures are invited to watch the future of each village do battle. How you perform will determine where they take their business. Basically, this is a chance to impress some important potential clients and determine the future of your careers as shinobi. Not only that, but your actions will reflect the strength of your village."

"Okay, but why is it necessary for us to risk our lives?" Kiba asked.

"Because the nation's strength is dependant on the village's strength, which is dependant on the strength of it's shinobi. And the only way to truly bring out that strength is a life or death situation. This exam showcases the strength of the a nation's shinobi and therefore the strength of the nation itself. This exam is given meaning because it's where your life is on the line. It is for this same purpose that your predecessors took the exams!"

"Wait, then why did you mention friendship?" Tenten asked.

"Don't get the wrong idea about the exam's meaning. In this custom, balance is preserved through battle and death. In this shinobi world, that is friendship. During this final test, you'll need to put your lives and your dreams at stake. Does everyone understand?" No one said anything, but there was no sign of any confusion among the hopefuls. "Alright, for the final test…"

Suddenly, a leaf shinobi in the standard jonin attire with brown hair sticking out from under a blue bandana appeared in front of the Hokage on one knee. "Pardon me, Lord Hokage. But as proctor of the the third exam, I believe it is my duty to explain the rules."

The Hokage smoked his pipe. "Very well. Proceed."

The man stood. "It's nice to meet you all. I am Gekkō Hayate, proctor for the," he starts coughing, "for the third test of the Chunin Exams. _cough cough_ However, because many of you _cough_ passed the second part, we'll need to hold a preliminary exam, in order to reduce the number of people participating in the real one." Hayate started coughing again.

"Woah woah woah, wait! What do you mean?" Hinata shouted.

"Um, well _cough_ the first and second test seems to have been too easy, because there weren't suppose to be this many people left. According to the rules, a preliminary round can be held in order to reduce the amount of candidates remaining."

"And how is that fair?" Kiba shouted in outrage.

"Well, the thing is, at this stage we have to speed things along. It's like Lord Hokage said, many important figures will be viewing the third test. We can't have too many fights and waste their time. They've come to see the best and the best will be determined by this test. If any of you feel you aren't in the best shape…" Hayate goes into a coughing fit.

' _So far, he's the one that's acting like he's not in the best shape,'_ Ino thought. The other genin were thinking the same thing.

"Sorry, as I was saying, if you don't feel you're currently ready, it might be better for you to back out now and try again next time, because the preliminaries start now and it's one-on-one combat, sudden death."

Some of the genin complained about just finishing the last test. Kabuto raised his hand. "I'm out. I wore myself out in that last test, plus I haven't fully recovered from that little dust up before the first test, so I don't think I can continue." He turned to the other leaf genin. "Guess my seventh try is a bust. But I'll be rooting for you all." He started to leave.

Naruto heard something and looked over his shoulder at Sasuke and Sakura. "Sasuke, it's that mark, isn't it? Maybe you should…"

"I'm fine Sakura," Sasuke said, clutching his neck and trying to ignore the pain. ' _Stupid mark! These waves of pain are getting annoying.'_

"Sasuke, it's only getting worse." Sakura started to raise her hand to inform the Hokage and her sensei. "You really should…"

"I said I'm fine!" Sasuke growled as he grabbed Sakura's arm. "Stop meddling, I'll be fine. It's only a nuisance, nothing major."

"I'm inclined to agree with Sakura," Shino said. "We don't know much about that mark on your neck, only that it was given to you by a rogue ninja, which is enough to warrant worry and caution."

"Listen, I'll deal with it after my match, alright?"

"Then let us pray your match comes first. The sooner this is dealt with, the better." Shino turned forward and Sakura reluctantly agreed to let it go.

However, their argument did not go unnoticed. "So it's true. My wayward pupil has given Sasuke the curse mark," the Hokage whispered.

"We need to take him out of the exams and give him to the ANBU," Anko said.

"I doubt he'll go along with that," Kakashi said.

"Doesn't matter!" Anko nearly shouted but managed to control her volume. "He a danger to others and himself as long as the curse mark remains on his body. As his strength grows, so does the power of the curse mark! It'll eat away at his body. I'm surprised he's still standing."

Hiruzen looked at Anko. Being one of the first to have been given Orochimaru's curse mark, she had first-hand experience of what it did to a person. "Your advice is noted Anko, but I will allow young Sasuke to continue with the exams."

"But Lord Third…"

"But at the first sign of the curse mark growing or Sasuke losing control, we will step in and stop it." Anko didn't look satisfied, but could not argue against her leader's orders.

Hayate looked over the remaining genin. "If there is no one else who wishes to leave, we will begin the preliminaries."  
-

Alpha: The preliminaries are about to begin. I'm sorry to say, but most of the matches will be canon simply to move things along. However, there will be some fights that are different. So look forward to those.

Ino: Maybe this time I'll win Forehead!

Sakura: In your dreams, Ino-Pig!

Ino: Please! The only reason you won that match was because Naruto's loud mouth helped you break my jutsu and Alpha took it away!

Sakura: That doesn't mean I'll lose!

Alpha: I'm just gonna move on to the omake I made.  
-

Omake: Final Night in the Forest

It was night. The two kunoichi wait by the river when Naruto and Kiba returned from washing the slime off themselves from an earlier encounter. "That was one big, hungry plant," Kiba said.

"Good thing Naruto can make a bunch of shadow clones," Hinata commented.

"Yeah. Even by Uzumaki standard, his reserves are greater than one his age," Karin added. "Wonder why."

"Um, g-good genes?" Naruto offered. He wasn't ready to tell Karin about the Nine-Tails inside him as he didn't want to scare her like he did Ino and almost did Kiba and Choji. He was lucky she didn't sense it in him. "A-anyway, I'll keep first w-watch. You guys s-sleep." They nodded and went to sleep, Kiba offering to go next.

After two hours of nothing, Naruto woke Kiba up and went to sleep. Once his eyes were shut and sleep took over, Karin opened her eyes. ' _Perfect, now to get into position.'_ She moved her body, snuggling up next to Naruto.

However, she wasn't the only one who was feigning sleep. Hinata opened her eyes too. ' _Oh no you don't!'_ She scutched next to Naruto and pulled him toward her. Karin wasn't gonna give up without a fight and pull him back toward her. Hinata pulled back, resulting in a game of tug-o-war with Naruto, who surprisingly slept through the whole thing.

About two hours later, Kiba's shift ended and he and Akamaru arrived to wake Hinata up. However, they found her and Karin asleep next to Naruto, both holding an arm possessively. ' _Damn, you lucky bastard.'  
_ -

Alpha: Thankfully, Naruto didn't wake up in that position. Oh, and just so we're all clear, this is not a harem! Just a little fun, but Naruto is not getting two girls! Only one, and we all know who. Hope you enjoyed this.

Naruto: Wonder who's butt I get to kick.

Kiba: Bet this time I get to the finals!

Hinata: I hope I do good.

Shino: I believe I will achieve victory once again.

Shikamaru: I'll have to fight a troublesome woman, won't I? What a drag.


	20. Chapter 19 Uzumaki vs Haruno

A/N: Ready for the preliminaries? As I said, most of the matches will be canon, so I'm just gonna give a brief description, mentioning who fought and how that person won. Then when I get to the fights that are different, those'll be the real fight scenes. Also, after some reviews, I decided it'd be best if I repeat when Naruto's Rinnegan showed up, since some people have forgotten. It was after Mizuki revealed that he tricked Naruto into stealing the scroll and Iruka got hurt defending him that Naruto's Rinnegan awakened and he killed Mizuki like Nagato killed the Leaf shinobi who killed his parents after he awakened his Rinnegan. It was then sealed away to hide it, since the Hokage figured it would make Naruto an even bigger target of people like Danzo. More information will be revealed as the story progresses. If you need to reread those parts, go to the chapters 'Graduation' and 'Teams'.

Chapter 19: Preliminaries, Uzumaki vs Haruno

"Alright, remember, these will be one-on-one battles. And since there are twenty of you, there will be ten matches total. Those who win their match will move on to the finals. The fighters _cough cough_ are randomly selected and their names will appear on the screen here." Hayate pointed at the screen above the hand sign statue. "There are no rules, other than no outside help. If someone interferes on your behalf, you will be disqualified. You win when your opponent is either incapacitated, gives up, or dies." Some genin, like Naruto, gulped at that. "It's recommended that those losing conceded to prevent a fatal outcome." Hayate coughs. "Also, if I say the match is over, it's over and I will intervene if necessary. We want to keep fatalities to a minimum. We will now select the two fighters." The screen flashed through names too fast for anyone to catch until it stopped on two. "Sasuke Uchiha and Yoroi Akado will fight first. Everyone else please move to the stands."

' _So I'm up first? Good.'_

' _Show me what you've got, Uchiha,'_ Gaara thought as he entered the stands.

Once everyone else was in the stands, joined by their senseis, Karin moved over to Team 8. Her sensei found it curious but said nothing. Kurenai and the Uzumaki girl were already introduced when she congratulated her team. She was quite surprised that she was from the same clan as Naruto. When asked if she knew about the Uzumaki clan, she nodded and when her students asked why she didn't tell them she responded saying she thought they already knew.

"So Naruto never knew about his clan?" Kakashi asked Kurenai quietly. She nodded. "Strange. Keeping his parentage secret, I understand. It's the only reason I've never told him about his father."

"Same here," Kurenai agreed. "Being a jinchūriki, he's got enough eyes and ears on him. If one of those ears hear his relation to him and word gets out, then his father's enemies would hunt him down."

"But keeping his clan secret seems excessive. If people haven't made the connection between him and Kushina from hearing his last name, how will hiding his clan be any different? And I doubt it would be to prevent him from having a say in the council. After all, technically it's not an official clan of the Leaf, unless the Uzumaki clan head choses to make it so and has the approval of all the the Hokage and the majority of ninja clans. And no one has claimed that position as of yet. So it's just a foreign clan considered gone with no say in the council " Kakashi started to thinking when he realised something. "However, until another Uzumaki decides to take up the position, Naruto could possibly claim the position for himself, with all the duties, rights, and privileges that follow. He'd have to be at least be a chunin first or 16, but it could happen."

"Your right, which begs the question, is someone trying to keep him from his birthright? And if so, who?"

Kurenai and Kakashi started to ponder this, but their thoughts were interrupted when Hayate spoke. "The first match is between Sasuke Uchiha and Yoroi Akado. Are both contestants okay with this?" Both nodded. "Remember, you will keep fight until one of you is dead, unable to fight, or gives up and as proctor I reserve the right to stop the match as I see fit. Understood?" Again, the two genin nodded and Hayate coughed a bit. "Begin!"

The fight started and the two clashed. However, something seemed to hinder him. Those who knew about the curse mark correctly guessed that it was the cause, and Yoroi quickly took the advantage with his chakra absorption technique. Sasuke was at a disadvantage as Yoroi drained Sasuke's chakra whenever he so much as touched him. But Sasuke was determined to win and, taking a page from Lee, disappeared for a sec to kick Yoroi into the air, then using Dancing Leaf Shadow to get behind him to finish it. However the curse mark started reacting, and Sasuke was tempted to use it, but Kakashi had warned him before the match that if he used it, he'd be out of the exam. So Sasuke resisted and the curse mark receded as he finished his opponent with Lions Barrage that knocked his opponent out. After checking chakra absorbing and seeing Sasuke get up, Hayate declared the Uchiha the winner.

' _He must have copied Lee's move with his Sharingan when they fought before the first test,'_ Guy thought. ' _It's not a perfect copy though. Taijutsu takes more than movement, it takes physical conditioning that requires hard work to achieve. But he finished the move in his own way. No bad. He reminds me of you my eternal rival when you were younger.'_

Kakashi took Sasuke away. "Now that you match is finished, we can deal with that curse mark on you," he said when they were out of earshot of the other genin. "You may have gained temporary control, but we can't take any chances. We'll need to seal it."

Sasuke wanted to protest. He believe if could control it then, even if it was only temporary, it meant that full control was possible. But he knew that they would never accept it. He could see it. All of them were too caught up in where it came from to see the potential. ' _No matter. I'll just bide my time. After all, Kakashi-sensei may be a great ninja, but I doubt he's master the sealing arts. I'm sure whatever seal he gives me will weaken enough eventually, and I'll be able to fight Itachi with everything at my disposal!'_ It also bothered him that he wouldn't be able to watch the rest of the fights, since he wanted to see Gaara and Neji's skills first hand, but he was sure Sakura would give him her observations. ' _Or Shino if she doesn't survive.'_

The next fight was between Shino and Zaku. The bug user had the advantage because he witness the Sound nin's jutsu back in the forest, and his arms were in slings from what Sasuke did in the forest. However, once the match started, Zaku reveal that his left arm was in good enough shape to fight with. Shino blocked a physical attack only to be blasted away by Zaku's Slicing Sound Waves jutsu. However, Shino recovered and from behind Zaku, a swarm of his parasitic insects were approaching him ready to devour the Sound nin's chakra. Shino warned that with only one good arm, Zaku could not defend himself from both Shino and the swarm behind him. That's when Zaku moved his right arm and got ready to blast both Aburame and swarm. However, not only did his attack fail, but the air pressure he built up in both arms was trapped in them burst out of his arms, causing severe damage from the inside out. Shino ended up winning.  
-

It was a dark room lit by candles on the ground. Kakashi finished placing the curse sealing on a shirtless Sasuke. "Remember, this seal will hold back the curse mark's power, but it's only as strong as your will. If you lose faith in your strength, if you doubt yourself, the curse mark will seep through and be unleashed in all it's fury."

' _So I control the seal? Even… better…'_ Sasuke lost consciousness.

"Look at that. Too tired to argue," Kakashi joked.

"My, my. You've grown up big and strong Kakashi." The Leaf jonin froze, eye wide as he recognised the voice. "To perform a curse sealing. But then again, what would one expect from the Son of the White Fang and Student of the Fourth Hokage."

"Orochimaru," Kakashi said with venom as he turned around.

"It's been awhile." Orochimaru was wearing a black flak jacket over a black attire, the Sound headband partially hidden by his hair. "It good to see you, but I'm afraid I didn't come for you, or that Sharingan in your left eye. I'm here for the boy behind you."

"I figured as much. Let me guess, you're after his eyes."

Orochimaru chuckled. "But of course. You should understand. The power that lays within those eyes. You've copied about a thousand jutsu with the one eye of someone as weak as Obito, imagine what I could achieve with two eyes of someone like Sasuke."

"Don't you dare insult Obito!" Kakashi growled.

"Why not? Did you not think the same of him? At the time I was still a Leaf shinobi. I'd seen the way you treated him, like he was below you. I wonder what it was at Kannabi Bridge that changed your mind though. Was it when he finally activated his eyes? Or when he sacrificed himself, leaving you his left eye?" Kakashi found it hard to control his emotions as memories of that mission flooded his mind. "Oh, did I strike a nerve?"

"What are you planning?"

"Well, as I'm sure you've guessed, the new Sound village you've heard about? It's mine. It's provided me with some excellent pieces to play the game with."

"Like those Sound genin?"

"Exactly."

"And Sasuke's another pawn for you?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "Oh no no no. Sasuke's a much more valuable piece. It's too bad I didn't get that Hyūga, but it's no big loss."

' _He tried to mark Hinata too? She's the only possibility because of the seal on her cousin.'_

"No the genin I've sent are nothing more than sacrificial pawns." Orochimaru stepped forward.

Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan and blazed through handsigns. Lightning gathered at his hand. "I won't let you take Sasuke!" Kakashi stated, his Lightning Blade ready to strike down the rogue sannin.

"Please, we both know you're not a my level."

"I don't care! If you take one more step…" he warned.

Orochimaru just started laughing. "A vain attempt to make up for your past failures. But fine, I won't take Sasuke." Kakashi eyed him. "Because I don't need too. You've seen it too, right? The darkness rooted in his heart? He craves power. Power the mark can give him. Power I can give him. And he will not be denied. Oh I won't take him, he'll come to me of his own free will. But don't let me discourage you. Go ahead and try." Orochimaru turned around and walked away. "But I warn you, he will seek me out for the power to avenge his clan, because that's what he is. An avenger." He stopped. "Unless you stop me right now. Go ahead, give it your best shot. It's the only way to stop me." He smirked. Kakashi didn't move. Not, that's not right. He was shaking. His jutsu ended and the snake sannin disappeared.

Kakashi sighed in relief. ' _I don't think I could've stopped him no matter what. I guess I should take Sasuke to the infirmary.'_

"Yo." In a puff of smoke, Kakashi appeared back on Kurenai's left. "Miss me?"

"How's Sasuke?" Sakura asked her sensei.

"Oh, he's fine. Just recovering in the infirmary. So, what'd I miss?"

"Well," Asuma lit a cigarette, "Your student Shino won his match against one of the Sound genin." The smoker explained the fight.

"Good work Shino." Kakashi told his student. "I think you've got a good shot at chunin."

"Thank you sensei."

"Well, I guess that's two of my students that made it to the finals," Kakashi commented with pride and a little smugness.

"Anyway," Asuma continued, "After that was a match between another Leaf genin, someone named Misumi, and one of the Sand genin. The one in the black suit. He just won using puppetry."

"So he's a ninja puppeteer. Interesting. It's a difficult art to master, and very dangerous." Kakashi mostly directed it at the genin in from of the three Leaf jonin.

"Great, another dangerous opponent. What a drag."

"Hey, look at the screen. I think the next fight is being decided," Hinata said. Everyone watched as the screen showed the names of the next two fighters.

"Will Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki please come down," Hayate said, coughing.

Naruto looked at the pink-haired kunoichi. "S-so uh, g-guess we h-have to…"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." The two of them walked down and stood in front of each other. Hayate repeated the rules and started the match. Sakura jumped back. "I recommend you don't hold back against me, cause I won't against you." ' _Alright, if I remember what I saw in the forest, Naruto finally managed to make clones and uses them. But I didn't see how cause I was busy making sure Sasuke was alright. He can also increase his speed and strength somehow, so I better watch for any red.'_ She rushed at him at a speed no one thought she had and sent a flurry of punches at Naruto, which he managed to block and dodge. Lee started cheering her on.

"Come on Naruto! You can win!" Karin cheered. ' _And when you win you'll come up here, hug me and spin me around then…'_ The genin who weren't among the Leaf rookies were wonder who she was, what she was doing here since she was the only Grass genin at the tower and no one had seen her teammates. And some, including some of the rookies were wondering why she was giggling uncontrollably.

"Sakura's using her high chakra control to augment her speed and strength!" Kurenai said shocked. "Did you teach her that?"

"Nope. She learned that on her own. I didn't even know she could do it. But I've always known she had great chakra control. Even taught her the water walking exercise. It was no fun though cause she caught on quickly. Oh well, at least Sasuke and Shino gave me some laughs when I taught them later on. I think one day, she'll be able to develop Tsunade's strength enhancing technique."

"Still, I doubt it will be enough. Sakura may have excellent chakra control, but Naruto still has the advantage physically, especially in stamina, and he can outnumber her greatly using his shadow clones. And so far, Sakura hasn't landed a single blow."

"True, though I wonder why Naruto hasn't gone on the offensive," Asuma said.

Kurenai answered him. "Well, while he now can fight a real threat with little to no hesitation, he's still reluctant to fight with his comrades. It usually takes some time for either Hinata or myself to convince him to fight back when we have him spar. The only time I can think of where this hasn't been a problem was during our training in the Wave mission, because of the threat of Zabuza and the state of the country.."

"Choji's the same way. In that case, he'll need to outlast her or it's game over," Asuma said.

Naruto ducked under Sakura's punch and jumped back when she tried to sweep at his legs. Sakura frowned, frustrated not only because she hadn't landed a blow, but that Naruto wasn't fighting back. "If you aren't gonna fight me then stay still!"

"Come on Naruto!" Hinata shouted. "You need to fight so both of us can be chunin!"

Naruto looked at her, which proved to be a mistake as Sakura took advantage of this and clocked him, sending the blond back. He managed to recover and block a roundhouse kick. ' _I guess I shouldn't be this hesitant to fight. It's like Hinata said, I have to so we both can be chunin. And I don't want to let her down.'_ "Sorry about this Sakura." Said girl was wondering what he meant when Naruto elbowed her gut, then twisted around her and kicked her back, sending her down.

She got up, quickly turning to face him. "Finally taking me seriously? Alright." She threw a smoke pellet and hide in the smoke. Shurikens came out, which Naruto dodged. And when the smoke cleared, there were five Sakuras.

' _Clones? When did she… Oh right. They're probably illusions, not solid clones like mine.'_ Naruto drew shurikens from his pouch and threw them at the Sakuras who scattered. Then Naruto went after one and punched. She crossed her arms to block.

"How?" she asked, dumbstruck.

"I-it was my worst jutsu," Naruto explained. Sakura remembered all of his attempts back at the academy. His clones always appeared sickly and pale. "I s-studied everything about it in o-order to do it, including this. T-This type of clone, they don't have shadows."

Sakura looked at one of her duplicates and saw he was right. Because it was nothing more than illusion, it didn't cast a shadow. Sakura threw a right hook, but Naruto leaned back and her fist passed in front of him. ' _So clones are useless against him since he can see through their tricks. And he has the upper hand in taijutsu. Think Sakura think!'_

"I hope Sakura is ok after this. Naruto might lose it and go fox on her," Ino said.

"That's not gonna happen Ino," Shikamaru told her.

"And how do you know that? Sakura wasn't exactly the nicest person to him. And now they're fighting."

"Troublesome. Look at our sensei. And their's. Do they seem worried about this at all? No. Right now their only concern is who'll win. Have a little faith in Naruto. I mean look at him. He doesn't look like he's anywhere near angry. If anything, he seems reluctant."

"Shikamaru's right," Choji told her. "I mean, I was worried too, but I hung out with Naruto. I don't think it's right for us to be afraid of him." Ino sighed, but thought on her teammates' words. Asuma overheard the whole thing and decided he should speak with Ino later.

Naruto ducked under Sakura's swing, but was hit in the gut from a quick punch from her other hand. Sakura followed up with a spinning kick, but he rolled back and got on his feet. Sakura rushed, but Naruto caught her next jab and tilted his head to dodge her other fist while placing a kunai at her throat. "Sorry, but I think you should yield," Naruto suggested.

The cold metal was pressed against her neck, but not too hard as to draw blood. Just enough to let her know it was there. She sighed. "I give," she muttered, just loud enough for Hayate to hear. ' _I guess I need to train my body more.'_

"Naruto Uzumaki is the winner by submission." Hinata, Karin, and his other friends congratulated him. Shino told Sakura she did well. She thanked him and walked over to her teacher.

"Sorry sensei."

Kakashi looked at her and shrugged. "Well, I won't get to brag that all three of my students passed onto the final on their first try, but I was impressed with your use of chakra control." He ruffled her short hair, and she looked at her sensei annoyed but smiling too. "Did you learn anything?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I need to train my body more. Work on my taijutsu."

Kakashi nodded. "Something for me to help you with."

"Good work Naruto. You were too hesitant in the beginning though," Kurenai told her student.

"S-sorry," Naruto said.

"Forget it. You did great Naruto!" Hinata said, causing the boy to blush from her praise. "But why didn't you use your clones?"

"W-well, I wanted t-to hide m-my abilities for the f-final round." Kurenai approved of his answer. It was a good idea.

Sakura heard and was confused. "But everyone can make clones. You can't pass the academy without being able to."

Naruto answered her in a low voice. "M-my clones are… different. Solid. T-they can hit you o-or perform j-jutsu."

"It's true. It's called the shadow clone jutsu. It takes up a large amount of chakra though. Even I can't make many, about two or three at once."

Sakura looked interested. "Wait, I saw you make five clones. Were some of them regular clones?" Naruto shook his head. "So how many can you make?"

"Oh, well um…"

"About a hundred, from what I've seen," Hinata answered.

Sakura looked at Naruto bug-eyed. ' _H-he can make a hundred! A hundred solid clones!'_ She imagined what would have happened if he made that many in their match. _' I d_ _idn't stand a chance,'_ she concluded sadly.

"But they aren't durable," Kakashi said. "A good hit would dispel them."

"Well, let's see who's fighting next!" Kiba exclaimed. ' _I hope it's me.'_

Alpha: Done! Hope the fight turned out alright. I didn't want it to be completely one-sided.

Sakura: At least it wasn't one of those fight scenes that make me look pathetic.

Alpha: Anyway, here's a little deleted scene.  
-

Naruto ducked under Sakura's swing, but was hit in the gut from a quick punch from her other hand. Sakura followed up with a spinning kick, but rolled back and got on his feet. Sakura rushed, but Naruto caught her next jab and tilted his head to dodge her other fist while placing a kunai at her throat. "Sorry, but I think you should yield," Naruto suggested.

"No, I'm sorry." Naruto wondered what she meant when her knee shot up and hit him between the legs. All the men instinctively covered their crotch as Naruto fell.

"Um, t-the winner is Sakura Haruno."

"We really should make protecting that area standard issue," Asuma said aloud. All the men agreed.

Sakura suddenly felt two large killer intents directed at her. She turned to see the angry glares of Karin and Hinata. The two jumped down and grabbed the pink-haired girl and dragged her out of the arena. Sakura started shouting apologies and cries for help in vain as the door closed. Half an hour of screaming later, Hinata and Karin returned, dragging a badly beaten Sakura behind.  
-

Alpha: Well, next chapter will be better. It's Inuzuka vs Hyūga!


	21. Chapter 20 Inuzuka & Yamanaka vs Hyuga

A/N: Welcome back! Took longer than expected. You see, I was working on a Christmas one-shot, but failed to finish by then. Then I got a desktop so I can play some games I bought but couldn't play on my laptop and got distracted by those. (I finally played Ninja Storm 4 since the anime is taking way too long to dub, so I now have a pretty good idea of what happens in the 4th Great Ninja War.) Anyway, I decided to save the one-shot for next year, though I suppose I could finish and post it soon if people asked.

Chapter 20: Inuzuka & Yamanaka vs Hyūga

The next match was between Tenten and Temari. Tenten unleashed a barrage of ninja weapons from her scrolls with deadly accuracy, but Temari would counter all her attacks, launching wind jutsu with her fan to deflect all the incoming projectiles. After emptying her scrolls, she manipulated the weapons she launched using ninja wire and used them for a second attack. But the results were the same. Temari's wind blew them away and she finished the Leaf kunoichi with her Wind Scythe Jutsu, which trapped her in a tornado. She dropped onto Temari's closed fan with multiple cuts on her body, nothing severe, but she was knocked out. Temari was the winner.

Afterwards, Shikamaru fought Kin, much to his displeasure. The lazy Nara was unable to catch her with his shadow since her teammates warned her about his jutsu. However, Shikamaru also knew about her techniques from Kiba and allowed himself to be caught by her genjutsu to make her think she won, only for him to use her ninja wire to sneak his shadow to her and catch her in his jutsu, then make her hit her head against the wall, knocking her out.

' _Come on! Come on! Let it be my turn!'_ Kiba thought in anticipation. Hinata was hoping the same thing.

The screen showed the names of the next two contestants. "Next up, Kiba Inuzuka vs Neji Hyūga."

Kiba's enthusiasm dropped for a sec. ' _Ok, so I ended up with the Hyūga prodigy. That makes things difficult, but I'm still gonna give it my all.'_ "Let's go Akamaru!" He barked in agreement and the Inuzuka boy jumped down, Akamaru in his jacket. Neji chose to simply walk down the stairs.

' _Brr! His chakra's cold,'_ Karin thought as she used her sensory abilities. ' _He's strong though. That much is clear.'_

' _Careful Kiba. My cousin's a difficult opponent.'_

The proctor was about to repeat the rules when Neji spoke. "Because you are a Leaf shinobi, I will show you this kindness and give you this chance to give up. Fate has decreed your part in these exams ends here. If you fight me, you will lose this battle and I cannot guarantee what shape you will come out of it. Better to give up now then suffer humiliation."

Kiba smirked. "Trying to scare me off? Are you worried I'll kick your ass?"

Neji shook his head. "If you wish to continue, so be it. I gave you your chance."

Hayate repeated the rules and started the match. Not taking any chances, he quickly underwent the transformation of the All-Fours Jutsu and quickly feed Akamaru a food pill, before using the Man-Beast Clone technique so there were two feral Kibas. Neji activated his Byakugan and took the Gentle Fist stance. ' _Hmm, I've sparred with Hinata, so I have a pretty good idea of your moves. So what makes you better?'_ "Fang Over Fang!" The two Kibas launched themselves and span at their target. Neji dodged to the side and the attack passed next to him. Afterward, one Kiba dashed at him while the other maneuvered around. The first Kiba swiped his clawed right hand down diagonally at Neji, who dodged. Using his momentum, however, he spins on his head and kicks at the branch Hyūga. Meanwhile, the other Kiba attacks from behind, but thanks to his Byakugan, Neji sees it coming. He blocks the first Kiba's next kick and deflects the other Kiba clawed attack. ' _Damn! I knew he'd see it coming with those eyes of his, but I figured he'd be too busy with me to counter Akamaru.'_

"I told you, your fate is to lose here," Neji said.

Kiba growled as he jumped back, same with Akamaru. ' _Ok, prolonged close combat is definitely out, I've sparred enough times with Hinata to know that, and smoke bombs won't work because of his eyes. We'll just have to hit hard and get away quick before he can counter and wear him down. Then deliver the final blow!'_ Kiba signaled Akamaru using subtle handsigns only known between the two of them. Akamaru, still mimicking Kiba's appearance, nodded. They attacked at the same time, one going high, the other low. Neji dodged the low blow, but barely managed to avoid the second strike, leaving tears on the front of his shirt from the Kiba's claw swipe. Still, the hit was only cosmetic and did not damage Neji at all. However, before the prodigy could counterstrike, the two Kibas distanced themselves from him. Circling the Hyūga before striking fast again and backing away. This continued for sometime, and while neither Kiba managed to wound Neji, though there were close calls, they never took a blow either.

"Interesting tactic," Guy commented.

"I agree," Lee said. "It would seem Neji's adversary is using hit-and-run tactics to wear him down, then finish him."

"He fights like an Inuzuka, that's for sure. Working well in coordination with his partner. But it's not enough." Lee nodded in agreement with his sensei.

The two Kibas attacked once again, one using Tunneling Fang. When Neji dodge, the other Kiba raised a clawed hand and struck. But Neji blocked the attack and before the Kiba could retreat, sent a couple of strikes with two fingers to his chest before finishing with a palm strike. That Kiba went flying, and in a puff of smoke, turned back into his original form.

"Akamaru!" the real Kiba yelled as the pup fell to the ground, alive but out of the fight. "Damn you!"

"As I told you, fate has decreed you will not be a chunin this time around." Neji charged at Kiba, who tried to keep away, throwing kunai that Neji dodged. When Kiba reached the wall, Neji caught up to him and thrust his palm. The Inuzuka tried to dodge, but took a glancing blow to the side. Kiba felt the effect of the Gentle Fist, and Neji pressed the advantage, closing chakra points in his arms, chest, and legs. In the end, Kiba fell to the ground, his transformation gone and Neji turned away, heading for the stairs. "Proctor, he cannot fight anymore. Call the match."

"W-wait!" Kiba struggled to stand. He succeeded, but his legs were wobbling. "I'm… I'm not done yet!"

"Fool." Neji rushed at him and sent an upward palm strike.

"Kiba!" Hinata and Naruto shouted. The young Inuzuka was pressed against the wall, Neji's palm in his gut. He coughed up blood, and Neji let him fall. This time he wasn't getting back up.

"Neji Hyūga is the winner," Hayate called.

Naruto and Hinata jumped down as the medics performed a diagnostic. They said he had internal injuries and closed chakra points, but assured the two that he and his pup would be alright. Naruto still looked with concern. Kiba and Akamaru were his friends and teammates, and he had been hurt. He was also angry but he didn't feel himself losing control, which was surprisingly, since he assumed the fox would take advantage of any anger the blond felt like he usually did. Hinata wasn't happy about what happened either. It appeared her cousin wasn't gonna go easy on anyone, even against someone from his own village.

"Hey, I'll be fine," Kiba assured them as they put him on a stretcher. "Once I recover, I'm gonna train for a rematch!"

"Just get better you two," Hinata said with Naruto nodding as they were taken away.

Once they return to their spot in the stands Karin asked. "Is he alright? I can help, using my healing abilities."

Both Leaf genin shook their heads. "He's fine. Kiba's tough. And the medics assured us there was no major or lasting damage. Besides, you said it leaves scars on you that can't be healed, right? We wouldn't want that."

"Y-yeah. W-we don't want that."

Karin smiled, glad they were thinking of her. Back in the Hidden Grass, no one hesitated to use her healing ability, even for minor things. It seemed to be the only thing people cared about concerning her, nothing else. None cared about how the jutsu affected her, just like they didn't care with her mom. "Thanks guys." A little aways, her sensei frowned upon learning Karin had divulged that information. Though he was curious if Naruto possessed the same ability as her, since apparently he's an Uzumaki as well.

Everyone looked to the screen as it flashed through the names of the remaining participants of the preliminaries at high speed. Hinata hoped she was next, though she was a little was confident she could take Ino and Choji. Ino didn't train as much and mostly fought in conjunction with her teammates since her jutsu tended to leave her open to attack if they failed and Choji would most likely give up since he didn't like fighting comrades. And even if he didn't, Hinata was still sure she could beat him. Lee would be a difficult opponent from what she observed. He was fast and strong, but she wouldn't mind fighting him. It would be a fun match. However, Dosu and Gaara were a different story. Dosu's device would make close-quarters combat difficult, as he would be able to disorient her if she didn't take him out quickly once she was in range of his jutsu. And he was probably still mad about what happened in the Forest of Death. And then there was Gaara. She knew nothing about his abilities, only that he was a jinchūriki like Naruto, but less restrained, and managed to complete a B-rank mission unscathed. She looked at him and he looked back. A shiver ran down her spine. The look in his eyes promised death. She still remember what Kiba said when they arrived at the tower and passed by Gaara's team. He said his gourd reeked of blood. ' _No matter. I won't give up! I don't care who my opponent is! I have no intention of losing!'_

The names stopped. "Next match. Hinata Hyūga vs Ino Yamanaka," Hayate announced. "Please make your way down now."

Hinata jumped off the rail and landed on the ground while Ino just walked down the stairs. The two faced each other. "Ready Ino?" Ino said nothing, but glared at her. ' _Geez, what's her problem? She's been like this since the start of the exams. I know I basically ignored her for a month, but still. She doesn't have to act like I performed some great sin. And she must understand why. I mean, she was saying we couldn't trust Naruto! All because of something he had no choice in and we didn't have a clue about until she found out and blabbed.'_ Hinata shook her head and got in her fight stance.

The proctor repeated the rules and started the match. Hinata charged but halted and got ready to dodge when Ino jumped back and formed the handsign for her family's technique. However, Ino didn't launch her jutsu yet, knowing that if she missed, she'd be open and lose. Hinata drew shurikens and threw them, forcing Ino to abandon her sign and dodge. One scratched her right sleeve. Hinata moved forward and sent a palm strike to her gut, using just enough chakra to minimize injuries. She moved to close some of Ino's chakra points but the young blond sidestepped and threw a punch. Hinata ducked her head to evade and threw another palm strike that Ino wasn't able to completely dodge, taking a glancing blow to the side. Hinata struck again and Ino was forced to block with her arm, allowing Hinata to close a chakra point. Ino rubbed the part of her arm Hinata hit. "I won't lose!" she shouted angrily.

"Wonder what's got Ino so upset?" Choji asked. Shikamaru shrugged, not having the slightest clue.

Ino kick at Hinata's gut, but the Hyūga heiress caught her foot and closed a few chakra points in her leg before releasing. Ino felt the effects quick as her leg proved to be sluggish in movement. Ino pulled something out and threw it at Hinata, who found herself enveloped in a cloud. ' _What the…'_ Hinata started coughing and felt ill, her strength leaving her. She got out of the cloud of gas as quickly as she could.

"How do you like that? Poison gas. It won't kill you, at least not quickly. It'll leave you debilitated so all I need to do is beat you quickly and then I'll give you the antidote," Ino said as she showed her a vial with a blue liquid before returning it to her pouch. Then she kicked Hinata back. The young Hyūga tried to stand, but had a difficult time.

"Clever girl," Kakashi commented. "I wonder where she learned to make that."

"Probably her mom," Asuma said. "She was good with plants during her ninja career, from making medicine from herbs for her allies to deadly poisons for her enemies. She probably taught Ino about the effects of different flowers and helped her make this one."

"I'm surprised she would use this on Hinata. Weren't they friends?" Kurenai asked, worried about her student.

"I doubt she'll let Hinata die, though she'll probably wait until the last second to cure her if she doesn't surrender. It's strange. For the last two days, something has been bothering her. Whenever I asked, though, she'd deny it. Her father told me she did the same with him. But whatever it is, it must have something to do with Hinata."

Naruto looked down at the fight, his hands tightening around the rail and breathing heavily. He still didn't feel the fox but he hadn't noticed. All he was doing was resisting the urge to go down and help her. ' _Hinata will be alright,'_ he tried to assure himself. ' _She's strong. Stronger than Ino. Even with the poison, she'll win and be alright.'_

Hinata block Ino's punch, only to have her legs swept from under her. She rolled to the side as Ino stomped her foot where she once was and barely managed to get on her feet. Ino had a hard time pursuing because of her leg that Hinata had closed chakra points in, so she formed a handsign. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Hinata barely managed to avoid the jutsu, but because of the effects of the poison in her body, she could not take advantage of Ino's vulnerable state, allowing the young Yamanaka to recover. "Just give up already! The poison is weakening you by the second! You've already lost, so just give up so I can give you the antidote

' _She not wrong though. The poison is making this fight more difficult, so time is not on my side. Well, at least this isn't boring. But if I don't come up with a solution, I'm done for. Gotta get my hands on that antidote.'_ She threw a sloppy punch that Ino dodge. She just her momentum to try a backfist with her other hand, but Ino caught it. However, Hinata had planned on that and manage to sneak her hand into Ino's pouch. When the young Yamanaka saw this, she push her away, but it was too late. "I was never much of a planner," Hinata started, showing off the vial in her hand, "but I'd call that one a success." She chugged the antidote, feeling her strength slowly returning. Ino tried to punch her but Hinata caught her fist and palm struck her, causing her to stumble back a bit. "I underestimated you Ino. That really was a good plan on your part. But it's wasn't enough to beat me! This match is over! Why? Because you're in my range!" Ino tried to back away but her bad leg made it difficult and Hinata struck. "2 palms… 4 palms…" Ino could only take each blow. "8 palms… 16 palms…" Hinata started on the last 16 strikes of her move. "8 Trigrams: 32 Palms!"

Ino flew back a bit and laid on the ground. She tried to get up, but all attempts ended in failure. The proctor could see there was no point in continuing the match. "Ino Yamanaka is incapacitated. Hinata Hyūga is the winner."

"Alright! Still #1!" Hinata shouted before walking over to Ino and reopened her chakra points. "Good match," she said as she held her hand out to help Ino up. Ino merely knocked her hand aside and walked up to the stands. Hinata purses and when both were upstairs she grabbed Ino's shoulder and forced her to face her. "Ok what is your problem?" she demanded. "Don't think I haven't seen the way you've been looking at me since the start of the exams, so out with it with it!"

"You know what it's about," Ino responded.

"What? That I haven't spoken to you all month? Ino, you told Naruto's secret! To Sasuke! And you know he doesn't like him!"

"Sasuke told me he wanted to help change how the village viewed him. That he wanted to make amends for how he treated him back in the academy," Ino defended. "I guess he changed his mind when he learned about, well, you know." Their argument had started to draw the attention of some of the other Leaf genin as well as Karin. The Sand Siblings and the last Sound Genin were ignoring them. "And anyway, this has nothing to do with that!"

"Then what does this have to do with?"

"The fact that you lied to me about liking Sasuke!"

Hinata frowned. "I don't like Sasuke! I've made that clear so many times!"

"Then how come the two of you are engaged?" Ino asked. Everyone gasped, except Neji.

"Engaged? Ino, I think you're getting fangirl paranoia. I mean, I'm 12 years old for crying out loud! That kind of stuff is way in the back of my mind. And when I do decide to do that, it won't be with him!"

"It does seem unlikely Ino," Sakura said. " **Besides, the only one Sasuke will be engaged with is me! Cha!"** Inner Sakura added.

"Actually, it's true." Everyone turned to the older Hyūga boy in shock, none more so than Hinata. "It was decided by the elders of our clan that Lady Hinata would marry the Last Uchiha once they're both chunin or reach the age of 16. You were to be informed about it after the exams."

Naruto clutched his chest as he digested Neji's words. The woman he loved, engaged to another man. Hinata shook her head. "Impossible. I mean, yes, I can see those old farts making that decision, but they don't have the authority! Only with my father's approval can they do that and he'd never agree to that!" However, that last part was said with some doubt. ' _Ok, I haven't exactly been his idea of his perfect daughter, but he wouldn't do this to me, would he?'_

"Lord Hiashi has indeed approved of the marriage. There is no way out of it. It would seem that it is your fate to act as the bridge that connects the Hyūga and the Uchiha, whether you like it or not." Neji turned to leave. Lee followed, but not before giving Hinata a look of sympathy.

"Man, what a drag."

"That's an understatement," Choji said.

"So, you didn't know?" Ino asked.

"Know? I don't even want this! And I'm not gonna take it lying down! The moment I can, I'm going to father to deal with this! It's my life and he has no right to do this to me!" Hinata declared. Ino sighed with relief.

The pain in Naruto's heart lessened hearing that Hinata did not want this, but it didn't leave. Karin approached the heiress. "I hope it works out. My victory will be a lot more satisfying knowing I won because of my feminine wiles and sparkling personality." Hinata couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"Um, w-what are y-you talking about?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing!" both girls quickly said, confusing the blond.  
-

Alpha: (Runs to Kakashi) Hide me!

Kakashi: Huh? Oh, Naruto after for bringing the whole arranged marriage back?

Alpha: Worse. Hinata.

Kakashi: (Laughs) Nice one.

Alpha: I'm serious! She may not get mad often, but when she does... (shivers)

Kakashi: Shy, gentle Hinata? (Raises eyebrow)

Alpha: At the moment, she is neither shy nor gentle. Now hide me!

Kakashi: You do know it's useless to hide. Byakugan, remember?

Alpha: (Facepalms) Ok, new plan. Help me get to my car and I'll drive away until she cools down.

Kakashi: Can we stop at the adult book store?

Alpha: What? No!

Kakashi: Ok. Hey Hina… (Alpha covers his mouth)

Alpha: Shh! Look, I don't even know where one is! (Uncovers his mouth)

Kakashi: I do.

Alpha: How do you… Never mind! Fine, I'll drop you off, but I am not going in with you!

Kakashi: Give me money to buy one?

Alpha: Do I really have a choice?

Kakashi: Of course. You can choose not to and deal with Hinata.

Alpha: I hate you. Fine, I'll give you some money when I drop you off.

Kakashi: Got the keys and wallet?

Alpha: Right here.

(Kakashi helps Alpha get past one very angry looking Hinata and make it to a van. And that's all I'm saying about my car.)

Kakashi: Wow, she looked really pissed! Who knew she had it in her?

Alpha: Told ya! Geez, she shouldn't be so mad. It's not like she actually gonna marry him.

Kakashi: Spoil much.

Alpha: Oh please. That's as much a spoiler as saying, "In that new superhero movie, the good guys win." The only spoilers are things like how and who dies along the way.

Kakashi: Hinata alert.

Alpha: Shoot! (Drives away as Hinata launches a Lion Fist as a projectile like in the video game)


	22. Chapter 21 The Defector

A/N: Valentine's Day is near, so please read the Naruto Valentine's Day fic I wrote a few months ago. Anyway, next chapter is here!

Chapter 21: The Defector

Hiashi was working at his desk when his door was roughly opened by his eldest daughter. "Hinata, what is the meaning of…"

"Is it true?" she demanded.

Hiashi shook his head. "First of all, calm yourself Hinata. This is not becoming of a Hyūga, especially one of your stature. Now please leave, knock, wait for permission, and…"

"No! You're gonna tell me if it's true!" Hinata shouted back, not moving from her spot.

"Hinata, I am your father and the head of this clan! And as such you will show me the respect I deserve!" Hiashi retorted. "I have tolerated your rebellious attitude for long enough!"

"Is that why you agreed to marry me off?" Hinata asked.

This caught Hiashi off guard, but he quickly recomposed himself. "I see. So you are already aware."

"Turns out Ino found out and revealed it to me after my match and Neji confirmed it. I can't believe you! I expected this from the elders, but you?"

"I was reluctant to accept, but eventually I saw this was for the good of the clan. Ever since the destruction of their clan, the Uchiha have gain popularity. You would be assisting in the restoration of one of the founding clans of the Leaf. And our clan's own status will rise as a result. Not to mention you'll be ending the feud that has existed between our two clans. Besides, this way your sister Hanabi won't be branded and neither will you."

"If you really wanted to keep one of us from being branded, you'd get rid of that stupid curse mark!" Hinata argued. "Or at least adjust it so it can't be used to 'discipline' our family and we can all wear it!"

Hiashi shook his head. "You are too naive, Hinata. Believe it or not, I do want to stop that infernal practice, but unfortunately, the world doesn't work that way. Too many people are after our eyes. You should know that better than most." Hinata shivered as she remember that night the Cloud nearly kidnapped her. "And sealing isn't as simple as that. The fact is there is no way to protect our eyes and remove the, ahem, undesirable part of the seal. Believe me, I've asked Lord Jiraiya, the current foremost expert on seals. I had him observe the seal and he admitted there was no way to adjust the seal without compromising its effectiveness."

"I still won't marry him," Hinata said stubbornly. "And I won't let Hanabi be branded either. I still plan to end the use of the Caged Bird Seal."

"Believe it or not, not all arranged marriages are bad," Hiashi said, trying to reassure his daughter. "First Hokage Hashirama was in an arranged marriage, and from what I've been told, they ended up very much in love."

"I can guarantee you that will not be the case in this instance," Hinata said and turned to storm out.

"Where are you going? I have not dismissed you."

"To my room to pack my things," she answered, causing Hiashi's eyes to widen. "I can't stay here. I can't believe you would do this to me! I can barely stand to look at you I'm so mad!"

"Hinata get back here!" She didn't listen. She had left the room to pack her things.  
-

Kurenai sat on her couch sipping some sake when she heard a knock on her door. Getting up, she walked over and answered it. She was surprised to find Hinata on the other side with two large packs. "Hinata, what an unexpected surprise."

"Um, sensei? You know how you told us to come to you incase we ever needed help." Kurenai nodded. "Well, after what my… What Hiashi did to me," she corrected. She was so mad she couldn't refer to him as her father. "Well, I wanted to know if I could stay here for a bit.

Kurenai grabbed one of her bags. "Of course. Stay as long as you want." She couldn't blame Hinata. Frankly, she was pissed too. "Let me show you to your room and then I'll make you some tea. Then we can discuss how we're going to train you for your fight against Gaara." Hinata nodded and grabbed her other bag, thanking her sensei.  
-

Three days had passed since the preliminaries. Naruto could not sleep. His thought wandered to the preliminaries. Finding out Hinata was forcibly engaged to Sasuke, watching Lee and Gaara fight, with the latter crippling the other, and then finding out he would fight Sasuke in the finals while Hinata had Gaara. Plus, Karin had to return to the Hidden Grass. She was the closest thing to family he had and now he may never see her again. He asked the Hokage if he could do something. He promised to try but could not guarantee anything.

As he laid in bed he heard a knock on his door. Wondering who it was, he got out of bed, removing the tadpole hat he wore to sleep. He opened the door and a hand grabbed his arm and dragged him out. Looking at the assailant, he saw it was Dosu, the only Sound genin to make it to the finals. Naruto pulled his arm back and got ready to make a few shadow clones when Dosu spoke. "I'm not here to fight." Naruto stopped before he made the sign and looked at him confused. "I need you to take me to your Hokage. I've got some news he'll want to hear."

"W-what do y-you need me f-for?" Naruto asked, silently cursing himself for stuttering in front of Dosu.

The Sound genin ignored that and explained. "Since they know Orochimaru leads the Hidden Sound, they're less than receptive of us. But if a Leaf shinobi brought me to the Hokage, one close to him, then I'd have an easier time."

"Why a-are you…"

"I'm not gonna waste time explaining now! Orochimaru has eyes everywhere. I'd rather get this done soon, before he realises what I'm doing."

Naruto thought for a moment. This could be a trick to get close to the Hokage. ' _But the Hokage's really strong, right. This Sound genin couldn't beat him.'_ After some debating, Naruto agreed to lead him to the Hokage.

The guards were hesitant to allow them in. They didn't trust the Sound and Naruto, but eventually they were let in when the Hokage heard about his arrival. Now they were in his office. "So, I'm told you had some information for me, but tell me, why betray your village?"

"I don't trust Orochimaru. He sent us to kill Sasuke, but the truth was he wanted to test the boy's strength. To him, our lives are meaningless. The final straw, though, was what he did to my teammates."

"I see. What did he do to them?" Hiruzen asked.

"He sacrificed them for a jutsu. I peeked through the door. They were bound when Orochimaru started his jutsu. They were covered in paper and turned into different people."

"Who?"

Dosu walked to the window. "Those two," he replied, pointing at the heads of the First and Second Hokage.

Hiruzen nearly dropped his pipe. ' _So, he learn Lord Second's reanimation jutsu. And now he's revived my predecessors, no doubt to use against the village.'_ "I see. I'm sorry for your loss."

"They were never my friends," Dosu replied. "We were thrown together. We only worked together on missions and training. Their deaths had no real effect on me. But Zaku was a deeply devoted to Orochimaru, and seeing how that devotion was repaid, I knew it was only a matter of time before it was my turn. Now here the deal, I have important information on Orochimaru's plans. All I ask is that I'm protected and once the exams are over, I'm made a shinobi of the Leaf. As I'm sure you saw, I'm very strong and capable."

Hiruzen stroked his beard as he pondered Dosu's request. It's true. His jutsu was quite effective, and the information he had on Orochimaru could prove invaluable. "Could you give me something about this information?"

"Only that Orochimaru has big plans for the finals. If you want to know, I've laid out my demands."

"And what's to stop me from taking you to Ibiki and extracting the info from you forcibly?" Hiruzen asked.

"The simple fact that you get much more my way. After all, not only do you get information, but a powerful addition to your ranks," Dosu answered.

Hiruzen thought for a moment, then nodded. "Very well, you have my word that we will do all we can to protect you from Orochimaru, and afterwards, induct you into our ranks." Dosu nodded.

"Um," Naruto said, reminding them of his presence. "S-should I go?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "No need. You can stay. I may need to talk to you afterwards." He directed his attention to the Sound defector. "Now, what has Orochimaru got planned for the finals?"

"An invasion. Of Sound and Sand shinobi."

"I see," Hiruzen sighed. ' _So our alliance with the Sand has ended.'_ It was the first time the old Hokage had witness the fall of an alliance, but it didn't make it easier for him.

"Also, he has a spy. A Leaf genin named Kabuto Yakushi," Dosu added.

"K-Kabuto!" Naruto said in shock. "A-are you sure?"

"Yeah. And he's not just any spy. He's Orochimaru's right-hand man and an expert medic. And he's no wimp. If he wanted, he could have protected himself when I attack him back in the first test. That was just to further cement his cover as a Leaf genin, not that it was required. Trust me, the guy's at least jonin level."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. He thought Kabuto was a nice guy, maybe a friend. Sure, they didn't interact much, but still. He looked down sadly as Hiruzen cleared his throated. "Thank you, Dosu. I'll ask for more detail tomorrow." He summoned his ANBU, who took Dosu away to a secure location. Naruto was about to leave when Hiruzen stopped him. "Summon Kakashi," he ordered the remaining ANBU. "And tell him if he's late this time, he'll be on Tora catching duty permanently."

Naruto asked why he was still there, but Hiruzen told him he'll find out soon. "Soon, Kakashi showed up. "Yo. What so important that I needed to be awakened and threatened so severely?" Hiruzen informed him of the warning of the invasion, with the Sound and Sand working together. Kakashi shook his head. "That is grave news indeed, but why is Naruto here? And why summon me now?"

"Naruto, remove your headband." Naruto did as he was told, revealing the three swirls on his forehead.

Kakashi's eye widened. "That's…"

"I figured you'd recognise it, considering who your sensei and his wife were." Hiruzen inhaled deeply from his pipe, released smoke, then walked over to Naruto and placed a hand on his forehead. There was a blue glow under this hand before he removed it, and Naruto's eyes changed into the ripple pattern of the Rinnegan.

Kakashi was in utter shock as he stared at the boy, making the blond uncomfortable. "Those… Those are…"

"The eyes of the Six Paths. Naruto possesses them and I need you to train him." Hiruzen told him.

"Me?" Kakashi asked, pointing at himself.

"Yes, you. I'd rather not have revealed this yet, but events have forced my hand. The battle with the Sound and Sand will not be an easy one. The power of the Rinnegan may prove useful. I'd rather have Jiraiya do it, but I have no idea where he is or if he'll get here in time. You are the second best choice. Well, third, but I'm much too busy to train him myself."

"Why?"

"The Rinnegan allow a natural affinity with all five basic elements. As the man who's copied a thousand ninjutsu, you are the best to teach him at least one of each element.

Naruto couldn't help but feel a little excited. He was finally gonna learn to use his eyes. Then he remember the invasion and his upcoming fight with Sasuke and his good mood dampened. ' _But what if it's not enough? What if I'm not good enough to use these eyes properly?'_

"Lord Third, not that I have a problem training Naruto, but what about Sasuke? I can't abandon one of my students, especially for his opponent."

Naruto was saddened to hear then and Kakashi was about to say something to him when Hiruzen spoke. "Perhaps you can train him for half of the month and train Sasuke for the other half. I'm sure Naruto will be able to find someone to train him afterwards. Perhaps Asuma when he isn't training Shikamaru."

"Hmm." Kakashi thought about it. He did have an obligation to teach Sasuke as his sensei. And he was worried something bad would happen to Naruto like everyone else close to him. But he doubted the Hokage was really giving him a choice and besides, he could still train Sasuke the other half of the month. And he wasn't really against the idea of training his sensei's son personally. "Ok. I guess I'm your sensei for the moment, Naruto."

"Good. Kakashi, I assume you know the seal?" The jonin nodded and replaced the seal to hide Naruto's eyes on him. "You're all dismissed."

The two of them walked out of the office. Naruto still looked down. "Hey, Naruto." The boy looked at him. Kakashi still could not get over how much like his father Naruto looked like. He was almost a mini Minato, but with Kushina's face. "I hope you understand my hesitation. You see, Sasuke is my student, and it would be wrong to abandon him. I know the two of you don't get along, especially after learning of the… arrangement."

"I g-guess I get i-it," Naruto said. "S-Sasuke's more i-important t-to you."

"Well, I'm not exactly happy with some of the things he's done. But I am his sensei. And as such, I have to work on putting him on the right path." ' _One that doesn't lead to Orochimaru. Or this dark path of revenge he's put himself in.'_ "It's an unusual arrangement really. I mean, I'm gonna train the two of you to fight each other. I wonder if anyone else has had that problem before." They arrived at a crossroads. "Well, I'm this way. Tomorrow at 8. Training Ground 3. And don't worry," he said with a smile as he ruffled Naruto's hair. "I'm sure things will work out."  
-

Morning arrived. Sasuke had gotten dressed, eat a light breakfast, and was about to leave when he heard someone knocking on his door. He answered and saw Kakashi. "This is odd. Normally I have to wait hours at the training ground for you."

"About that." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. He was not looking forward to this. "Seems something has happened. I'll only be able to train you for half the month."

"What! Why?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, turns out the finals are gonna be more exciting than expected, so Lord Third wants me to train someone for a bit. But don't worry. I've got someone in mind to help you out while I'm doing so."

"Who?" Sasuke asked.

"You'll see."

"At least tell me who else you're training," Sasuke demanded, crossing his arms.

"It's… Naruto," Kakashi answered, bracing himself for the outburst that was sure to follow.

It didn't come.

"Oh." Sasuke uncrossed his arms. ' _That's a strange turn of events, but at least I might be able to have some fun, and make it all the more satisfying when I beat him.'_ "So, where do I meet this sensei you've assigned?"

Kakashi was a little surprised by how well Sasuke was taking this. ' _Well, less hassle for me.'_ He told Sasuke where to meet his new sensei and took off. ' _Maybe this won't be so bad.'_

Sasuke walked off to meet his new sensei. ' _This actually works out well. With Kakashi focused on someone else, I might be able to find time practice with the curse mark,'_ he thought. He arrived at the training ground but didn't find anyone. He looked around but as far as he could see, he was alone. "Huh, wonder if he's hiding, and I have to find him." He was about to activate his Sharingan when he heard a noise. He looked to the right. ' _You've got to be kidding me.'_

"Sasuke!" Guy shouted as he approached, walking on his hands. "Just in time! My eternal rival Kakashi has asked me to help you while he's busy."

' _Great. I get the weirdo,'_ Sasuke thought. ' _Although, considering Lee's taijutsu, this might not be a bad thing.'_

Guy got on his feet. "Ok, first of all, I have something for you." He pulled out a green spandex bodysuit like his and Lee's causing Sasuke to sweatdrop. "Some stylish clothes that won't restrict movement.

"I'm not wearing that," Sasuke stated.

Guy got depressed, eliciting another sweatdrop. "Well, I guess the outfit is optional." He then got back up like it never happened and put away the outfit. "Ok, we'll start things off light. 100 laps around the entire practice field, followed by…" Guy continued to list what he had planned.

' _This is light? This better help me surpass Itachi!'_ Sasuke thought as he started his brutal workout.  
-

Naruto arrived at the training ground at 7:58. He then had to wait 2 hours before Kakashi finally showed up. "Sorry, a black cat crossed my path," he explained. Naruto sweatdropped and wondered if this was gonna be a recurring thing. He was never late back during the wave mission. Then again, he couldn't be since they were staying in the same house and therefore left together when training began. "Anyway, first I need to unseal your eyes." Naruto removed his headband and Kakashi released the seal, causing Naruto's Rinnegan to return. "Ok, since we only have half the month, I'm gonna tell you a little secret. Your shadow clones have an interesting feature you probably don't know about." That got Naruto's attention. "You see, when you dispel a shadow clone, what it learns, you learn. Let me show you. First make a shadow clone," Naruto nodded and made a single clone. Kakashi did the same. "Ok, now our…" He paused when he noticed that both Narutos were frowning and looking around. "Something the matter?"

"Um, Kakashi-sensei, s-something weird is h-happening." Kakashi motioned him to elaborate. "W-well, I can s-see through m-my clone's eyes. T-that's never h-happened before. Is t-this what you meant?"

Now Kakashi frown. "No. That's not normal." He pondered this. ' _What could be different?'_ "Wait! I think it has to do with your eyes. Yeah, I think the Rinnegan allows you shared vision with your clones," he hypothesised.

"R-really?"

"Yes. With training, it could prove advantageous," Kakashi explained. He couldn't deny he was eager to see how he applies this new ability in the future. "However, it will limit the amount of clones you can make, since I'm sure having a hundred pairs of eyes would probably be too much for your brain to handle. So I need you to start making clones one at a time, so we can find your limit."

Naruto nodded, a little disappointed. Numbers were his biggest advantage, but his new eyes limited that advantage. He started making more shadow clones. Each one made him more disorientated. Once he made the sixth clone, it became unbearable. He shut his eyes and dispelled them all. "F-five," he said, recovering. "T-that's my b-best."

Kakashi noted the disappointment in his voice. "That's not bad actually. And the good new is, that's one clone for each element."

"W-what do y-you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Remember. I said when you dispel a clone, you learn what it learns. For example, make a clone again." Naruto did so. ' _Well, the rock paper scissors idea is out. This shared vision will allow him to see who wins.'_ "Now I'm gonna whisper something to your clone." He took the clone away and whispered in his ear. "Ok, dispel." The clone did so and disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Now, what did I tell you?"

"T-that I eat t-too much ramen," Naruto answered, then blink. "Oh."

"See? This technique will cut training time. And since you already have learned tree and water walking, we can go straight to elemental training. So make five clones again." Naruto did so. Kakashi waited for him to adjust to the increased vision. "Now, I want each clone to grab a bunch of leaves. One will try to ignite a leaf with fire chakra, one will try to dampen one with water chakra, another will wrinkle it with lightning, the fourth will split it with wind, and the last one will make the leaf turn to dirt and crumple away with earth chakra."

"A-and what a-about me?" the real Naruto asked.

"Well, we'll be working on your physical training, but that will be later in the day. I actually have a special jutsu to teach you. It's non-elemental, so you can practice it right away, but I need you to promise me something."

"W-what?"

"Promise you won't use it in your match with Sasuke! This jutsu is too dangerous! Promise me!"

Naruto nodded. "O-ok, I promise not to use this jutsu against Sasuke in the finals."

Kakashi smiled. "Good. I just need to help your clones get started and then we can begin."  
-

Inoichi knocked on his daughter's door. "Ino, please open up. It's been three days."

"No!" Ino shouted before continuing her sobbing.

"Ino, please. Tell me what happened. Let me help you," Inoichi pleaded but to no avail. Three days ago, Ino came home sobbing. She locked herself in her room and hasn't come out since. ' _I wish she would let me help. And whoever did this to my precious daughter, I will show them no mercy! They'll learn just how terrifying our jutsu can be!'_

It was late evening. The sky was turning a brilliant orange as the sun set. Naruto tried hard but made no progress in his training. Kakashi assured him it was natural. Elemental ninjutsu was difficult to master. "B-but still, Kakashi-sensei, I t-think s-something's wrong w-with me."

"How so?"

"W-well, e-ever since Orochimaru h-hit my stomach w-with his j-jutsu, I've felt funny. And m-molding chakra is h-harder."

"Hmm, let me see your seal." Naruto lifted his shirt and focused some chakra to his stomach. Kakashi examined the seal. ' _That's odd. I've seen the seal before, and I don't remember that.'_ He referred to the extra layer around the seal. ' _Wait, I think that's the Five Pronged Seal. That must be what's messing with his chakra. I don't know if I'm strong enough to break a seal made by Orochimaru, but I'll give it a try. I was Minato-sensei's best student, after all.'_ "Ok, stay still." Kakashi lifted his hand. Five kanjis appeared, one on each finger. "Five Pronged Seal Release!" He thrust his hand to Naruto's stomach. The boy was launched back.

" **Finally! I don't need anymore seals on me!"** the Nine-Tails exclaimed.

' _Nine-Tails! Y-you're back! W-what happened t-to you?'_ Naruto asked.

" **That damned snake's seal suppressed me, that's what! And it messed up your chakra control too, so don't think that was a good thing,"** the demon fox explained. " **I've still been keeping tabs on what's been happening so I know about the Uchiha stealing your mate. Tell you what? Just this once, I'll let you draw on my power so you can kill him, just because I hate his entire damn clan."**

' _T-thanks for the offer, b-but no. I d-don't want t-to kill him.'_

" **Even though he stole your mate?"**

' _Hinata d-doesn't want t-this, s-so maybe t-there's a way t-to stop it.'_

" **You are incredibly soft, you know that?"**

"Naruto, you alright?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto sat up and nodded. "I t-think t-that fixed it."

"Good. We'll continue tomorrow." He resealed Naruto's eyes. "See ya." Kakashi left in a swirl of leaves.  
-

"It seems Dosu has betrayed us, Lord Orochimaru. Apparently he saw what you did to his teammates. Shall I get rid of him?"

Orochimaru shook his "No. That would be a waste of effort. He has no information of real value. The locations he can give as for some of my lesser experiments. Their loss is meaningless to me. And even if they know about our invasion plan with the Sand, they can do nothing but wait. Especially since Dosu know little about how we plan to execute it." Orochimaru smirked. "Besides, I have a more important mission for you."  
-

Sasuke walked home, completely fatigued. ' _And to think, today was light! No matter. As long as it makes me stronger, I'll endure anything!'_

"Hey, Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned around. "What do you want, Kabuto?"  
-

Alpha: And done.

Hinata: (Completely red) I can't believe I acted like that earlier. I'm so embarrassed. I'm really sorry.

Alpha: Hey, don't worry about it. I'm fine. ' _Although I wish I didn't have to pay Kakashi for his help.'_

Kakashi: Personally, I should be thanking you. This book is really good. Not as good as Master Jiraiya's, but great nonetheless.

Alpha: Why don't you read real books?

Kakashi: I have. They're not as good as these kind though.

Alpha: Speaking of Jiraiya's books, I want to read his one good one. "Tales of a Gutsy Ninja". The one Nagato inspired.

Naruto: Oh, I have a copy. Here.

Alpha: Oh, um, thanks. ' _He's calm. I feel I should be worried.'_ I'm gonna go read this in my room. (Opens the door and a bucket of oatmeal lands on Alpha's head) NARUTO!

Naruto: Gotcha! (Starts running while Alpha chases him)

Alpha: Get back here! When I catch you I'm gonna…"


	23. Chapter 22 New Teacher

A/N: Well, next chapter is up. Remember to review!

Chapter 22: New Teacher

Naruto was walking home, a water balloon in hand. It was the end of his second day of training and he actually made some progress now that he could properly mold his chakra. He wasn't ready to learn any elemental jutsu yet, but it was a start. As he walked, he saw Shikamaru and Choji with said looks on their face. "W-what's wrong?" Naruto asked as he approached them.

"Huh? Oh, Naruto, hey." Choji greeted half-heartedly. "It's Ino."

"W-what happened?" Naruto asked with concern.

"No clue," Shikamaru answered. "She locked herself in her room a few days ago and hasn't come out since. Her dad's really worried and so are ours, since our families are close. It's a drag, but Ino's our friend and teammate, so we're going to see if there's something we can do. Asuma-sensei is on his way too."

"C-can I help?" Naruto asked.

Choji and Shikamaru looked a bit surprised. "I… don't see why not," Shikamaru said allowing him to follow them.

" **Have you forgotten the blond one almost made you lose your friends blabbing your secret?"** the Nine-Tails asked.

' _S-she was in s-shock. I d-don't really b-blame her. I m-mean, w-what you d-did that day s-scared a lot of p-people. Um, w-why did you d-do it anyway?'_ Naruto asked.

" **None of your business!"** the Nine-Tails roared. ' _ **That accursed night! A taste of freedom only for it to be taken from me. And don't think you're all that good, Naruto. You may be able to fool everyone, even yourself, but I know the truth. It's like I told you. Your rage, your anger, your hate! Years worth of it. It is there, deep in your mind, suppressed. I can sense it. That is your true self.'  
**_ -

"Ino? Your team is here," Inoichi told her. Behind him was Asuma, Shikamaru, Choji, and Naruto.

"Tell them to go away," Ino said, refusing to open the door.

"Naruto is here too. He seems worried about you as well." Silence. Apparently Ino was not expecting that. "No he's not."

"Um, a-actually, I am," Naruto said, speaking up, though unsure if she heard him since he spoke softly.

They heard movement coming from her room. The door opened slightly, just enough them to see her eye, red and puffy from crying. She quickly shut it and asked, "Why are you here Naruto?"

"I h-heard you w-were sad, s-so I w-wanted to help."

Silence fell again. Finally, she opened the door a crack and said, "You can enter, but the rest of you stay out!"

Inoichi found it an odd request, but if it help his daughter, he would grant it. He nodded at Naruto to enter his daughter's room. ' _I've willing allowed a boy to be alone with my daughter in her room. I must be desperate.'_

Everyone else was confused too. ' _I thought Ino was afraid of Naruto because of the fox?'_ Choji thought. ' _Why does she want him alone in her room.'_

Ino allowed Naruto to enter before quickly shutting the door before anyone else could enter. Naruto looked at her. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red and puffy. Before Naruto could say anything though, she grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug and started sobbing again. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

It took a bit for the shock to wear off, but once it did, Naruto asked, "What d-do you mean?"

"For everything. For telling your secret! For trying to convince everyone to be afraid of you! For treating you poorly! I'm sorry!"

Naruto hugged her back. "I forgive you."

Ino pulled back and Naruto let her go. "Do you mean it?" she asked.

Naruto nodded, then asked, "But what happened?"

"That bastard Sasuke!" she shouted. Naruto was shocked to hear her refer to Sasuke that way. "After the second round, I sought him out…"  
-

 _Flashback to four days ago outside the Uchiha District:_

"Sasuke!"

Said boy turned around and groan as Ino approached him. "What do you want?" he asked.

"To help you," Ino replied. Sasuke raised his eyebrow inquisitively. "Get out of your engagement to Hinata. I figured, since she doesn't want it and you don't want it, we could stop it."

"And what makes you think I don't want this?" Sasuke said back. "After all, this was my idea."

Ino looked wide eyed at him. "B-but Sasuke, what about…"

"What about what? That moment I pulled you aside and told you what you wanted to hear so you'd do as I asked?"

"You mean you lied to me? You used me?" Ino couldn't believe what she was hearing. ' _This is a trick! A nightmare!'_

"Deception and manipulation are a shinobi's best friends, as is the ability to see through deception," Sasuke responded. "All three of which you lack."

"But why?" Ino demanded, tears threatening to leave her eyes.

"When I revive my clan after avenging them, I intend to make it stronger than ever. And while the Hyūga's Byakugan is far inferior to the Sharingan, it has it's uses. If that power were to combined with ours, our power would be so great, that even if the Senju Clan was revived, they wouldn't stand a chance!"

"You… you… YOU JERK!" Ino shouted. "I defended you when all my friends said you were no good! I risked my friendships for you and lost both my best friends for you!"

"You can't put all the blame on me," Sasuke said. "After, I'm sure you were warned not to tell anyone about the fox in Naruto, yet you came to me and, without any coaxing, told me everything." Ino wanted to argue, but he was right. Her father had told her not to say anything and still she willingly chose to defy him. "And once you did tell me, did I tell you to be afraid? No, you came to that all on your own. Face it, I may have played a role in all that, but it was your choices that lost you those close to you." Sasuke turned away and walked into the district while Ino ran away, bawling her eyes out.  
-

 _Present:_

Ino finished her tale. "Since then, I did a lot of thinking and realized I wasn't just wrong about him, but…" She stopped and stared in shock at Naruto.

The boy looked down, shaking, his fists clenched so hard, they were drawing blood. But what really caught her attention was the faint red aura around him. "Sorry, Ino," he said in a strained voice, like he was fighting something or holding something in. "I… I'm just… I don't care about what he does to me, but when he hurts my friends…" He tighten up as the red aura became slightly more visible. "Forcing Hinata into something she doesn't want, and hurting you… I can't stand it!" He clenched his teeth and forced the chakra back into the seal and took a knee. "S-sorry," he said, now worried he had ruined any chance of her seeing him as more than the fox.

There was banging on the door. "What's going?" Inoichi asked. "What was that chakra spike?"

"Nothing dad," Ino shouted back, to Naruto's surprise. "Ok, that was kinda scary, I admit, but were you really mad because he did something to me despite how I've been acting for the past month?" Naruto nodded. Ino couldn't believe it, but was grateful. "Thank you," she said. "I'm fine now, but do me a favor?"

"S-sure."

"Kick his ass in the finals," Ino said. Naruto nodded and went to the door, unlocking it and exiting.  
-

It was the end of Naruto's last day of training with Kakashi. The sun was low. The jonin was impressed with his progress. Naruto had managed to complete the exercises for water, wind, and earth and learn two new jutsu. He still had trouble with fire and lightning, but still. ' _Is this the power of the Rinnegan? Or is it Naruto's? He does seem more determined to get stronger.'_ These were Kakashi's thoughts as Naruto left the training grounds, a rubber ball in hand.

As Naruto left, he wonder who he should approach tomorrow. Kakashi had given him some suggestions. He could go to Guy and work on his physical fitness and taijutsu, or ask Asuma for wind style and fire style ninjutsu training. As he walked, he heard someone call his name. "Hey Naruto!"

He turned around to see Hinata run up to him. Naruto smiled. He hadn't seen her since the end of the finals since she spent all her time training with Kurenai. "H-hey Hinata."

"Geez, been a while, huh?" she said. "Training hard, I hope." Naruto nodded. "Great, same here. But I'm not telling. You'll see when I kick Sandy's butt back to his village!"

Naruto's smile dropped and he grew worried. "G-Gaara's pretty s-strong though. A-and that s-sand defense of h-his w-won't be easy t-to avoid. Please be c-careful." He remember how Gaara crippled Lee. The poor boy's injuries were so bad, he would never be a ninja again. If that happened to Hinata, or worse…

"Don't worry," she assured. "I have a plan. Well, sensei does, but you know what I mean. I won't end up like Lee." Naruto decided to take her word for it, but it didn't stop him from worrying. "So what's with the rubber ball?"

"P-part of my training," he answered.

"Oh." Hinata didn't really get it and while she was curious, she figured she'd find out come the exams. "Speaking of which, I heard you were training with Kakashi-sensei." Naruto nodded. "I figured he would train Sasuke, not that I have a problem with it."

"W-well, this w-was my last d-day with him. T-tomorrow he's g-gonna start training Sasuke, so I need t-to find a new teacher."

"Wait, so he was planning on training you and Sasuke? When you two are fighting each other? How does that work?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, Kurenai-sensei is giving me tomorrow off, so before you go looking for a new sensei, why don't you meet me near the hot springs?"

"Ok."

"Great! See you then! And remember to bring your bathing suit. We're gonna soak in the mixed baths." She ran off.

(In my fic, the Hidden Leaf's Hot Springs offers mixed bathing, with a rule that the occupants must wear bathing suits, much to some guys', especially a white haired one's, disappointment. The single gender areas do not have that rule.)  
-

Today was the day Kakashi would finally start training him. Sasuke waited on the cliffs, where he was suppose to meet him. Eventually, Kakashi arrived, late as usual. "Yo."

"What are you going to teach me?" Sasuke asked, wanting to get started already.

"Always straight to the point with you. Fine. There's a reason I had Guy train you. I need you to work on your speed, so you could perform a special jutsu. But before we get started, I need something from you."

"What's that?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Your word that you will never use this jutsu on a comrade," Kakashi said seriously. "I'm putting a lot of trust in you, teaching you this."

"Fine, I swear not to use this jutsu on a comrade," Sasuke said. "Now what is it."

"So impatient. That could one day be the death of you, you know. First, focus your chakra into this paper." He held up a small, square piece of white paper. He handed it to Sasuke, who did as he was told. The paper cringed. "Well, isn't that lucky for you. Now the jutsu." Kakashi performed a few handsigns and the chidori appeared in his right hand. "This jutsu is an assassination technique, A-Class. Perfect for penetrating defences, like Gaara's sand." Sasuke got the hint. He suspected there was more going on since Kakashi had told him the final would be more exciting than expect. Something big was going on, and the Sand were a big part of it. Kakashi ended the jutsu. "Anyway, the hand signs are Ox, Rabbit, Monkey." he showed him the hand signs and Sasuke mimic them.  
-

Naruto arrived first at the hot springs, a small orange bag with him. Yuki was next to him, since he decided to bring his furry little friend along. Hinata arrived shortly after. "Alright, got my bathing suit her." She patted the bag swung over her shoulders. "Let's head in!" They made their way there, but before they entered the main building, Hinata heard giggling. She dragged the boy toward the sound and stopped. Outside the woman's area, a white-haired man was looking through a hole in the wall, writing in a notepad and giggling. "Oh great. A perv. Let's see, how should I deal with him?" Hinata asked herself, putting her hand on her chin.

"W-we could ask h-him to stop nicely," Naruto offered.

"Nah. Guys like him don't stop. No, we need to teach him a lesson."

"Perhaps I can help." The two turned to see Kurenai.

"S-sensei? Why a-are you here?" Naruto asked.

"I was gonna met Anko in there when I saw you two headed this way." She glanced over to the white-haired man and sighed. ' _Not again.'_

"Wait, you want to help me prank someone?" Hinata said in disbelief.

"Normally, I would never even consider doing something that childish, but for guys like him, I make an exception." She leaned close to them and whispered what she had in mind. Hinata's grin grew wide in anticipation.

They moved and hid in a nearby bush. Kurenai formed a few handsigns and pointed her pinky finger at the man. Soon after, he dropped his notepad and scrabbled away from the peephole, a terrified look on his face. "So… wrinkly."

Hinata fell over laughing and even Kurenai could not stop herself from snickering. "Sensei, you've gotta teach me that one day." Naruto merely looked at the man and shook his head. He had it coming.

After recovering from his shock, the man looked to the bushes, hearing the laughter coming from it. "Alright, come out Kurenai. I know you were behind that."

"Serves you right. How many times have you been told to stop peeking on girls?" she asked. The kids got a better look at the man. He a bit of red face paint under his eyes, a small wart on his nose, and a horned headband on his forehead with the kanji for oil.

"Less times than I've done it," he replied, earning a glare from the two females. "I hope you're happy. You're interrupting my research."

"Research? For what, you little perv?" Hinata said.

"For my books of course." He pulled out the book Kakashi was always reading. "And I am not a little perv," he said with indignation, before flashing them a lecherous smile. "I'm a big one."

The three of them sweatdropped. "Just who are you, old man?" Hinata demanded.

Kurenai tried to answer as quickly as she could but she was too late. The man smirked. "I'm glad you asked." He struck a pose. "I am the legendary toad sage of Mt. Myoboku! I am the handsomest of the Sannin! Everywhere I go, women swoon and men turn green with envy." Kurenai rolled her eyes. "I am the gutsiest shinobi of them all! I am…" He summons a large toad and jumps on it. "Jiraiya!"

Hinata turned to Kurenai. "Is this guy for real?" Jiraiya face faulted off the toad.

"Unfortunately, yes. This guy is one of the Legendary Sannin, a student of Lord Third. Despite his quirks, he is one of the strongest shinobi alive."

"This guy?" Hinata asked in disbelief as she pointed at Jiraiya.

"Geez, you're a jonin, Kurenai. You should be teaching your students to respect others." Jiraiya said.

"Others, yes. You, no," she replied. She had at one point admired him like she did the other sannin. However, that respect faded when she first met him and he made a rather improper comment about her breast. And it continued to fade the first time she caught him peeping on her in the hot springs. Needless to say, she came to only respect his skills as a shinobi, nothing more.

Jiraiya pouted until he got a better look at Naruto. He was surprised at his appearance. He looked at Kurenai with a questioning gaze as he pointed at the blond boy. She nodded, neither genin noticing. ' _So, this is my godson. He's rather quiet for Kushina's kid. Maybe he inherited more from his father than his looks.'_ "So, what are you two doing here?" Jiraiya asked.

Hinata looked at him. "If you must know Pervy Sage," A tick mark formed on Jiraiya's forehead at her nickname for him. "we were gonna soak then look for a teacher for Naruto, since he's in the Chunin Exam Finals. The sensei he was with before is busy and Kurenai-sensei is training me for my match since I'm in the finals too."

"I see," he said.

Kurenai cleared her throat. "Perhaps Master Jiraiya can teach him."

The two genin looked at her in disbelief. Hinata spoke up. "What? But sensei, he's…"

"I know. I know. But he is a legend in the shinobi world. In fact, he was the Fourth Hokage's sensei."

Naruto's eyes widened. This man was his idol's sensei? "R-really?"

"Yep. He could help you realise your dream of being Hokage one day, right?"

Jiraiya thought about it. He was interested in teaching his student's son. ' _But first, let's see if I can get something out of this.'_ "Well, yes. With me as your master, you'll definitely become a legend." He leaned over to the boy. "But first, there is something you must do."

"W-what?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya grinned as she pulled him away from the girls and whispered in his ear. "Since my research was so rudely interrupted, I need you to bring me a lady. One with a killer body!"

Naruto went wide eyed. "W-what! B-b-but I c-can't… I mean i-it would be…" He stuttered his words.

"That's my condition. Take it or leave it." Jiraiya said, pulling away. Hinata looked curious at what Jiraiya asked for, while Kurenai looked like she had an idea and was already starting to regret her decision.

Naruto looked down, contemplating his options. There was a way to fulfill Jiraiya's condition, but it was embarrassing. Not to mention it made Hinata mad. But if Jiraiya really was as strong as he had heard, something Kurenai admitted was true, could he afford to pass up an opportunity under a legend like him? "F-fine," he finally answered softly.

"Good, then go get one," Jiraiya said.

"W-well, I have a-an alternative," he said. Jiraiya raised his eyebrow. "A-a jutsu I know."

"What does the Pervy Sage want?" Hinata finally asked, walking over to him.

"W-well, um, h-he, uh…" Naruto turned bright red.

"Come on, what's this jutsu that you think can substitute for my request?" Jiraiya asked.

"Jutsu substitute?" The gears in Hinata's head turned as she thought about all she knew about Jiraiya from the short amount of time she spent with him and all the jutsu she knew of that Naruto possessed. "Oh, that jutsu. Wait, what?" she exclaimed. "You really are dirty little pervert!" she shouted, pointing at Jiraiya.

"Super pervert," he corrected.

"Oh yes, because that's much better," she remarked sarcastically.

"Besides, I'm a dedicated writer who only wants to please his readers. And to do that, I need my inspiration! So come on kid, show me what you got!"

"S-sorry, Hinata," Naruto said. "B-but if he c-can help m-me beat Sasuke…"

The young heiress sighed. "Fine," she conceded, backing away.

Naruto formed a hand sign and was enveloped in smoke. In his place was Naruko, who covered her chest and lower parts, a blush adorning her face. "Please don't stare," she said.

Jiraiya did more than stare. His eyes practically bulged from their sockets and blood streamed from his nose. A large grin plastered on his face. "Oh yeah baby! A perfect 10!" Everyone sweatdropped at his antics. Naruto turned back, his face so red it looked like a tomato. "Congratulations! You are now my student!" Jiraiya said, recomposing himself. "Just do me one little favor." Jiraiya's grin returned. "Could you stay in that other form for me the whole time?" Naruto blushed even harder while Hinata glared at the toad sage.

"Oh no!" Kurenai grabbed him by the ear. "I've tolerated this long enough! You said you'd train him, so don't you dare go back on it now!"

"Ow ow ow! Alright already! Geez, can't a guy have a little fun?" Kurenai released him and Jiraiya nursed his ear. ' _At least Tsunade isn't here. I love her, but that woman is merciless.'_ "Ok, kid, you're first lesson will be…"

"There he is!" Jiraiya turned to see a group of women led by Anko. He recognised them as the girls he was peeping on. Apparently they heard all the commotion. "Let's get him!" Anko shouted as she summoned some snakes.

"Gah! Don't tell the old man I'm here!" he told Kurenai. "Naruto, you first lesson is running away from angry women!" Without warning he scooped up the boy, flung him over his shoulder, and ran off, chased by the small army of angry women and snakes.

Meanwhile, Hinata and Kurenai stared in their direction, Yuki hopping over to them. "Sensei, I'm worried about Naruto."

"So am I, Hinata. So am I."  
-

Alpha: Well, what do ya think?

Tsunade: I think I should have stayed in the village just to guard the hot springs.

Alpha: Probably.

Tsunade: Where is that pervert anyway?

Alpha: No idea. He came here with a new laptop and locked himself in that room.

Tsunade: Did he ask for the wi-fi password?

Alpha: Yeah, he di… Oh.

Tsunade: I'll get him.

(Tsunade walks off. The sound of a door breaking and Tsunade shouting is heard. She returns, laptop in hand with Jiraiya close behind)

Jiraiya: Tsunade please! I need that! I have access to a treasure trove of inspiration!

Tsunade: You want it back? (Jiraiya nods and Tsunade snaps the laptop in two) Here.

Jiraiya: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!


	24. Chapter 23 Summoning, the Bet, and Final

A/N: You know, the original plan was for the training and Finals to be mostly the same as canon, with Naruto training only with Jiraiya, fighting Neji, and his Rinnegan only showing briefly later to show one path. But after reading some reviews and doing some thinking, I went a different way. And I like it better, and I'm sure you guys do too. So heads up. While some things will be like canon, I've also got tons of surprises in store.

Chapter 23: Summoning, the Bet, and the Finals

Jiraiya stopped and put Naruto down. "Ok, we lost them."

"S-so um, sensei?" The sannin looked at him. "W-what are y-you gonna t-teach me?"

' _A stuttering problem? Huh, Minato never had that, except around Kushina.'_ "Well, normally I'd say chakra control, but if Kurenai is your sensei, I imagine she already taught you tree walking and water walking, right?" Naruto nodded. "Ok, then we can skip to this." He bit his thumb, did a few handsigns, and summoned a large orange toad, the same one he summoned earlier for his introduction appeared, with Jiraiya on top. "Gama, the scroll." The toad nodded and opened his mouth. From out of it came the scroll Jiraiya asked for, held in Gama's tongue. He handed it to Jiraiya, who grabbed it. "Thanks." He jumped off the toad and laid it in front of the boy. "This, my young protege, is a contract scroll. There are many for the different kinds of summons. Once signed, it allows one to summon the those animals."

"L-like that O-Orochimaru guy's s-snakes?" Naruto asked.

That caught Jiraiya off guard. "How'd you know that?"

"W-well, he a-appeared in the s-second round in d-disguise. H-he attacked a-another team, so we t-tried to help, b-but couldn't beat him," Naruto said sadly. "He put this seal over…" He paused and Jiraiya knew he was talking about the seal on his stomach that held the demon fox. "A-anyway, he a-also put a s-seal on Sasuke, but it was d-different."

' _No doubt it was a curse mark. That snake is after the Sharingan.'_

"Um, y-you should k-know, since y-your a sannin and all, t-that Orochimaru plans to a-attack the finals with his Sound v-village and the S-sand."

' _An invasion? My spy network hasn't uncovered anything like that!'_ "How do you know this?"

"A S-sound genin w-went to me t-to take h-him to the Hokage. He defected a-after Orochimaru k-killed his teammates for s-some jutsu. According to h-him, it turned them i-into Lords First and Second."

Jiraiya was absolutely dumbstruck. ' _Ok, Orochimaru by himself is bad. Him planning an invasion with the Sand and his own village is worse. But reanimating the former Hokage too? That's a nightmare!'_ "We're getting off topic." ' _But this is good to know.'_ "Back to summoning, all you need to do is sign this contract, and you'll be able to summon toad allies like me."

"Oh, ok," Naruto responded, not sounding all that excited.

"Hey, where's the energy?"

"S-sorry."

Jiraiya sighed. "Look, it may interest you to know that toads are one of if not the strongest summons out there. And they come in different sizes from average, to large," he pointed at Gama, "to ginormous!" He stretched his hands as wide as he could. Naruto's interest went up, but Jiraiya wasn't done. "Plus, if the elder toads decide to, they'll teach you the ancient art of sage mode, a powerful state of enhancement known only by them, the snakes, and the slugs." Naruto's eyes widened and an eagerness to learn shone in his eyes. "But that won't be for years, so let's just focus on the summoning part." He opened the contract seal. "Just sign your name on the empty space with your blood, then add your fingerprints below."

Naruto approached the scroll and looked at the names. Most he did not recognise, but two stood out to him. Jiraiya's and the the one next to it, 'Minato Namikaze'. ' _The Fourth Hokage signed this scroll too. And now I have the chance to follow in his footsteps.'_ He bit his thumb to draw blood and wrote his name, then applied his fingerprints. When he was done, Jiraiya closed the scroll and returned it to Gama, who ate it and puffed away. "S-so now w-what?"

"Now we practice summoning. Little warning though, summons may or may not accept you."

"W-what?"

"You see, you need to earn their respect. Summons aren't mindless animals or slaves. They are comrades whose respect you have to earn. With some summons it's easier than others. Toads, however, are very picky. If you don't earn the right to summon them, they'll just leave and all you'll have done is waste chakra."

"S-so how do I e-earn their respect?" Naruto asked, worried he might not be able to.

"Ask them. Just try summoning them. First put blood on your hand, them perform the hand signs Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, and Ram." He showed them to Naruto. "Then slam your hand to the ground. But first, let me see the seal on your stomach." Naruto froze. "Yes, I know about your burden, but I'm a seal master. I know the difference between a kunai and the scroll that holds it. Now let me see it so I can see what my former teammate did."

"Um, a-actually, Kakashi-sensei a-already took care of it," Naruto informed him.

"Kakashi? Huh, didn't think he had it in him. Then again, Orochimaru isn't an expert on seals, so…" He shook his head. "Well, just try to summon a toad."

Naruto nodded and did as Jiraiya instructed. "Summoning Jutsu!" He slammed his palm onto the ground. There was a small puff of smoke, but in its place wasn't a toad.

"Wow, an egg." Jiraiya commented. "I was expecting at least a tadpole on your first try, but an egg?" Naruto suddenly got depressed. ' _Ok, I'm started to think there's more to his demeanor than genetics. He gets depress way too easily.'_ "You know, if you have time to sulk, you have time to practice."

"Y-you mean you s-still want to t-teach me?" Naruto asked.

"Hey, I'm not gonna give up on you because you messed up the first time. This is advance stuff after all. Or are you gonna quit?"

Naruto shook his head. "I n-never quit. N-not anymore." He looked to the ground. "Because that's our ninja way," he whispered.

"Who's this we?" Jiraiya asked. As a veteran shinobi and a spymaster, he had good hearing and could read lips.

"Oh, um…" The boy blushed. "H-Hinata."

"Hinata? Oh, the girl you were with," he said with realization. "So, what's the story?" he asked with a grin that made Naruto very uncomfortable.

"W-we're just f-friends," he answered.

"Oh, but you want more, right?" Jiraiya said. "Don't deny it. I know that look anywhere." ' _It's the same look your father had when he thought of your mother.'_

"Well, I d-don't know i-if she f-feels the same way, a-and I don't want t-to lose her f-friendship."

"Well, don't worry kid. I'm sure no matter if she loves you back or not, if she's a true friend, she'll always be there for you," Jiraiya assured him, making Naruto smile. "And if she doesn't love you back, then I'll turn you into a world-class womanizer like me! You'll have women lining up to be with you and your sex life will be amazing!"

Naruto instantly turned red. The s-word brought what knowledge he had of it to surface mixed with a certain lavender-eye'd girl. This made him do the only natural thing for him, faint.

Jiraiya roared with laughter. "You know, your old man reacted exactly the same way when I told him that after he told me about his feeling for your mom," he told the unconscious boy, knowing he couldn't hear him.

After a while, Naruto finally woke up again. By then, Jiraiya had calmed down. "Ok, enough playing around. Back to practice."

"Um, sensei? I have a question." Jiraiya raised his eyebrow. "C-could I use shadow clones to s-speed things a-along?"

"So you know that jutsu and it's secret?" Naruto nodded. "Alright, but tell me, how many can you make?"

"Well, the m-most I've e-ever made w-was about a hundred," Naruto answered.

Jiraiya did not look surprised. He expect a large number, since he was both an Uzumaki and a jinchūriki. "Well, only make about 10." Naruto nodded and made ten shadow clones and began trying again.  
-

A few days passed, but Naruto did not progress very far. Even with the help of ten shadow clones, he only progressed to tadpoles with a hindlegs, and the finals were just around the corner. ' _He won't have time to complete it this way. He needs to use the fox's chakra for this, but he seems reluctant. I have no choice.'_ "Naruto, take a break and come with me."

Naruto stopped and dispelled his clones, except the one working on the balloon. Hinata gave him a tip that helped him pass the second stage of the jutsu, and luckily shortly after, Kakashi sent a clone to check his progress and told him the final stage.

He walked over to where Jiraiya was. The man was standing at the edge of a chasm. "You're not making much progress," he said.

"S-sorry."

"You need to learn to access the fox's chakra on your own. It's not just gonna go away." He then looked over the edge. Naruto leaned over too, wondering what they were looking at. "You what one of the best ways to learn something is?"

"What?"

"A life or death situation. These positions push us to do our best, because if we don't, we die." Suddenly, he pushed Naruto over the edge.

Hinata was walking to where Naruto said he was training. In one hand was a bento for herself, and in the other, takeout from Ichiraku. Guess who that's for. ' _I wonder how Naruto's training is coming. He wouldn't say what it was. I just hope Pervy Sage isn't trying to corrupt him. Bad enough Kiba had him make that Sexy Jutsu of his.'_ She activated her Byakugan and found him by a chasm. She ran over and arrived just as Jiraiya pushed him into it. "Naruto!" she yelled as she ran.

Jiraiya looked back, surprised to see her. She was about to jump in after him when Jiraiya grabbed her. "Hold on! It's not what you think."

"YOU PUSHED MY BEST FRIEND OVER A CLIFF!" she shouted as she thrashed, trying to escape his grip.

"He'll live. He just need to perform the jutsu I taught him."

Naruto screamed his head off as he plummeted. " **Stop screaming!"** the Nine-Tails shouted. " **Listen. Perform the jutsu the toad sage taught you. I'll lend you some chakra so it works. Now do it before you die and take me with you!"**

Naruto bit his thumb and did the hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Hinata was still trying to get out of Jiraiya's grip when both heard Naruto shout out the jutsu. Jiraiya let go of her and moved to the edge. He leaned over for a peek and quickly leaned back, worry on his face. Hinata herself suddenly got worried. "N-Naruto?" she squeaked out, hoping her fears would soon be alleviated.

"Oh all the… Why did he have to summon him?" Jiraiya said as he moved toward the forest.

Hinata let out a breath of relief. ' _Naruto's alive.'_ "Wait, summoned? What do ya mean by that? And summoned who?"

"JIRAIYA!" said a voice that boomed from the chasm. The sannin started to run when suddenly, something jumped out of it and landed in front of him. Hinata gasped. It was a giant toad. It's skin was a rusty red, with bright red around the lips and eyes. It wore a large blue vest and had a sword at its side. Over its left eye was a scar and in its mouth was a pipe for smoking. "Jiraiya, what is the meaning of this?" the toad demanded. "Why did you summon me inside a chasm?"

Before he could say anything, Hinata shouted, "That is one big frog!"

This earned her a look of indignation from the summon. "I am not a frog! I am a toad! Big difference! Now explain, Jiraiya! Why am I here? And it better be a good reason!"

"Well, you see, Gamabunta, I'm not the one who summoned you."

"Could someone explain what's going on?" Hinata demanded. "Who is this?"

"That is Gamabunta, the chief of the toad summons," Jiraiya explained.

"That's right. I'm the strongest of the toad summons, besides the elders. Now answer my question. No one else could have summoned me. You're the only living summoner we have."

"Um, a-actually," said a voice from atop the chief toad. He looked up to see Naruto standing lying on top of him. "I s-summoned you."

"Hey! Get off my head!" he shook Naruto off. Hinata rushed to his side. "Now what's this nonsense about you summoning me? Jiraiya, explain this at once!" Jiraiya told him that he had taken Naruto as his student and that he had him sign the toad contract. He even summoned Gama and showed him the contract with Naruto's name. Hinata looked impressed at Naruto's feat. "I see. Interesting, but I do not accept him. Not yet anyway. He hasn't proven himself to me at all. He fell off my head so easily."

"What if he managed stayed on top of your head?" Hinata asked.

"Ha. If the little snot could actually stay atop my head til the sun sets, I might consider accepting him as my henchman."

"Henchman?" Hinata questioned. Jiraiya told her to forget about it and advised her to follow him.

Naruto accepted and climbed back onto the toad's head. "Ok, w-when do we…" Before he could finish, the chief toad jumped, nearly knocking Naruto off his head.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you, ya little snot!" Gamabunta started shaking his head, thrashing about in an attempt to knock Naruto off him. "Come on! Fall!"

Hinata and Jiraiya were atop a tall tree. Both were holding binoculars, since Jiraiya had a spare. "I hope Naruto will be alright." She turned to Jiraiya to find he wasn't even looking at Naruto's struggle. Looking in the same direction as him, she found he was looking at a bunch of women playing at a waterfall. A tick mark formed on her forehead as she pushed him off the tree. "Dirty perv." She turned her attention back on Naruto.

Gamabunta did everything he could to throw Naruto off him. He jumped around, thrashed his head, even jumped into a lake, nearly drowning the boy. Yet still he did not let go, using his chakra to maintain his hold.

Jiraiya returned to the top of the tree, grumbling about annoying little girls, and looked at Naruto's progress. "Looks like he's having a hard time," Jiraiya said with a smirk. "He must have used most of his chakra summoning Gamabunta."

"How can you say that and smile, you jerk!" Hinata shouted, ready to push him off again.

"Relax. Bunta won't kill him. If he wanted to, he would have stayed underwater and drowned the boy. Besides, the road to power is long and brutal. There are no shortcuts. If he wants to get stronger, he'll have to endure some pain."

"The villagers put him through enough pain," she muttered.

"What?"

"Forget about it," she said as she continued to watch her friend hang on for dear life. Meanwhile, Jiraiya wonder what Hinata meant by what she said.

The day went on, until the sun was about to set. "Looks like Naruto's at his limit. The boy's barely hanging on. I won't be surprised if he fell off anytime now," Jiraiya commented.

"He'll make it," Hinata said. "I believe in him."

"Such devotion. Makes me think you like him as more than a friend." Hinata blushed slightly, but didn't respond as she focused on Naruto. Jiraiya smirked, knowing he was right.

Gamabunta stopped for a moment. "Did I… win?" Naruto asked, too tired to stutter.

"No. And even if you did, that wouldn't guarantee anything. I said I 'might' consider accepting you, so you may as well give up."

"No," Naruto responded. "Even if… the chances are low… I'll do all I can… because I don't... give up."

"Fine! Don't blame me of you die!" Bunta jumped into the air, as high as he could, spinning fast like a top.

"Oh be fair Bunta. This is a matter of pride for him too," Jiraiya complained. The giant toad flew over them and landed in the area where the girls were. "No! Not there! That was a great spot for inspiration!"

"There are more important things to worry about right now! Like Naruto's well being!" she criticized as she rushed to where they landed.

Bunta was panting while Naruto felt himself slipping off. He did the only thing he could think of and made a couple of clones that grabbed him and pulled him back on. He stood up and raised his hands. "I… did it." Unfortunately, fatigue overcame him. The boy was unconscious and fell off Bunta's head.

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted as she rushed to catch him.

' _She's not gonna make it. And with a fall like that in his condition, he'll die!'_ Jiraiya thought.

However, halfway through the fall, Gamabunta stuck his tongue out and caught him. ' _So close, little snot.'_ Bunta placed the boy on his head. Hinata finally arrived. "He'll live," the chief toad assured her. "But he's exhausted. He used up all his energy trying to stay on my head. Best we take him to a hospital. What's his name anyway?"

"Naruto. His name is Naruto Uzumaki."

"Naruto Uzumaki, eh. Well, climb on and make sure he doesn't fall off." Hinata nodded and climbed on. The boss summon hopped off, not as rough as before so as not to make his passengers fall off. "Consider yourself lucky girl. I don't usually allow people to ride on me, especially those we are not contracted to."

"Thank you," Hinata said, holding onto Naruto. She looked at him and thought back to the years before, when their friendship had start. He was so shy, so timid, and had so little confidence in himself. How many times would he have given up if she hadn't been there to help him take the right path? ' _Yet here we are. Not only have we braved missing nins, but you did all you could to earn the respect of a summons all on your own. How things have changed, huh Naruto.'_

They arrived at the hospital and Gamabunta let them down. "Tell the boy when he wakes up, that I have decided to accept him as my underling. The toad summons will answer his call, so long as it is within reason." Gamabunta hopped off, leaving only a large footprint.  
-

Jiraiya stared at the night sky. He felt Bunta land next to him. "He's Minato's kid, isn't he? I still remember how much the three of us celebrated when he learned he was expecting."

"What gave it away?' Jiraiya asked.

"I had my suspicions from the moment I saw him. They look so much alike."

"Really? I couldn't tell with how hard you were on him."

"Please, I didn't go easy on Minato. There's no way I'd go easy on his son. Besides, I wanted to see if he could leave up to his father's legacy."

"And?"

"He has that potential," Bunta said, "but only time will tell." Jiraiya nodded in agreement.  
-

Naruto was out for three days. Hinata had given him the message from Gamabunta. The Finals were tomorrow and he was jumping from rooftop to rooftop looking for Jiraiya for some last minute training. He checked the hot springs first and was surprised to find he wasn't there. He kept looking until finally he saw the sannin sitting on top of the Hokage Monument sipping sake. "Jiraiya-sensei," Naruto called.

"Huh? Oh, Naruto, you're up. Nice work before. Bunta isn't easily impressed," Jiraiya praised. "So, something you need? Perhaps a signed copy of my book to study from."

Naruto blushed but nodded his head. "J-just some last m-minute training."

"Training? Sorry kid, but there's no time for that. The Finals are tomorrow and you don't even have a full day. So relax, enjoy today."

"B-but I need to beat Sasuke!" Naruto argued.

"Look, if you put on a good enough show, you can be a chunin even without winning the match. And even if you don't, you can always try again. There's no rush."

"T-that's not it."

"Then what is it?" Jiraiya asked.

"T-the Hyūga are m-making Hinata marry Sasuke."

"What? Damn, that doesn't sound good, but I don't see how beating him will change anything."

"W-well, I sorta, made a bet."  
-

 _Flashback:_

Naruto found Sasuke at one of the training grounds. It was evening and he had finished his last day of training with Kakashi. The Uchiha turned around. "What do you want?"

"T-to end the arrangement," Naruto answered, mentally berating himself for the stutter.

"And how do you intend to do that?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"W-with a wager," Naruto answered. "U-unless your scared."

While the effects of his words lessened because of his stutter, it remain effective enough. "Name the terms."

"I-if I win our match, Hinata d-doesn't have to m-marry you," Naruto said, choking out those last two words.

"Fine," Sasuke said, not surprised. "And when you loss, you'll agree to a restraining order keeping you away from her."

"What?"

"Hey, you turned our battle into a cliché battle for the girl. It's only right that the loser should lose the girl completely, since I doubt she'll want anything to do with me if our engagement ends. It's only fair that lose her completely if, or rather, when you lose."

Naruto debated in his mind. Sasuke was strong. The strongest of their class and he had only gotten stronger since graduation. Plus he now had the Sharingan. Sure Naruto could finally use his Rinnegan, but all it did was allow him to use all chakra natures, only two of which he knew jutsu for, and seeing through his clones eyes, which limited the amount he could make. But still... "F-fine."

Sasuke smirked. "It's a deal. Spend time with her, while you can."

Neji and Tenten were returning from training when they heard the whole thing. "We should probably tell your uncle this, in case Naruto wins and Sasuke doesn't go through with his end of the bargain."

Neji contemplated that. Hiashi would make sure the deal was honored, no matter who won. And he wasn't eager to see Hinata be freed from her fate while his uncle was forced to remain in his to his death. However, he decided there was no harm in doing so. Because not doing so would mean he believed Naruto had a chance, which he didn't. He was the dead last while Sasuke was the top rookie of his class and an member of an elite clan. It was Naruto's fate to remain at the bottom and lose, leaving Hinata to her fate. Because fate is unescapable.  
-

"So let me get this straight, you made a bet where if you beat the man engaged to your loved one, she's free, but if you lose, you can never be with her, even as a friend?" Naruto nodded. "That is a brilliant idea for one of my books!" Jiraiya took out his notepad. "The hero makes a deal to save his beloved, risking it all, and after a fierce battle against her would be fiance, he's victorious and the two lovers enjoy a night of heavy passion." He giggled perversely at that last part while Naruto blushed. "I'd like to help you, but like I said, there's no time. Best thing you can do now is practice some of your jutsus, strategize, or some physical conditioning, but that's it." Naruto looked down in disappointment. "Listen, the amount of jutsu you know doesn't matter. The true measure of a shinobi is his ability to endure whatever is thrown at him. So as long as you have the guts to never give up, you can win. Just remember, no matter how many times he knocks you down, you get right back up."

Naruto looked upon the toad sage and smiled. "Thanks, Jiraiya-sensei."

"Well, if you really want to thank me, you'll use that jutsu again for me."

Naruto blushed red. "B-but i-its s-so e-embarrassing."

"Come on, just a little please?" Naruto shook his head and ran off, Jiraiya following and pestering him to use the Sexy Jutsu again.  
-

Naruto just finished getting dressed for the Finals when he heard a knock on his door. He opened it and saw Haku, wearing the outfit he wore when he pretended to be a Mist tracker nin, without the mask of course. "Hey Haku. W-what brings you h-here?"

"Just thought I'd walk you over to the stadium," he answered. "We haven't been able to hang out much lately."

"S-sorry."

"Don't be. We've both been busy. You with training and the exams, and me at the academy." The two walked out the door. "I saw Inari and his mother earlier. They're here to cheer you on."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Sadly, Tazuna couldn't make it. They said he's got hired to work on a big project in another country. The income will further help the Land of Waves recover from Gato's tyranny."

"I'm g-glad to hear h-he's d-doing fine," Naruto said.

Haku noticed the anxiety on his friend's face. "You seem nervous."

Naruto sighed. "Sasuke g-graduated as rookie of the year. I've gotten s-stronger, but…"

"You're worried you're not strong enough to beat him," Haku guessed. Naruto confirmed it with a nod. "Tell me, what does he fight for?"

"H-himself and revenge," Naruto answered.

"And you fight for those precious to you. And because of that, your will is stronger than his will ever be. I've no doubt you can win this," Haku said with the utmost honesty.

Naruto smiled, but before he could say anything he was glomped. "Did ya miss me?" the person asked.

Naruto looked up and saw a familiar redhead. "Karin?"

"That's right," she said, letting him go and getting off of him so he could stand back up. "And guess what?" She pointed to her forehead, where her headband was. But it had a different symbol.

"Y-you're a leaf ninja now?" he asked in shock.

"Yep! Your Hokage made a deal with the Hidden Grass. I don't know the details though. But now I get to live here with you!"

Haku cleared his throat. "Are you gonna introduce me?"

"Oh, s-sorry. Haku, t-this is Karin. S-she's an Uzumaki, like me," Naruto introduced.

"An Uzumaki? That is interesting. I'm Haku Yuki. And by the way, I'm a boy," he added, knowing she would make the same mistake everyone else made.

"I know," Karin replied.

"You do?" Haku asked, surprised. "Yes! Someone who can tell I'm a boy from my looks!" he cheered.

' _Actually, it was your chakra that told me,'_ Karin though. She had used her sensory abilities to look for Naruto and for a moment thought she had misread Haku's chakra. "I can't wait to see you win!" she exclaimed.

"Karin, I see you've returned." Everyone looked to see Hinata approach them. She noticed her new headband. "And you're a Leaf ninja now?"

"Yep. Now I can spend more time with Naruto here," she said as she grabbed his arm.

"That's nice," Hinata responded as she grabbed his other arm and pulled him toward herself. Karin frowned and pulled Naruto too.

The two were about to play tug-a-war with him when Haku spoke. "If we don't get going, we'll be late." Hinata and Naruto quickly realised he was right and ran to the stadium where the finals were being held.  
-

Alpha: Done! I considered adding the hospital scene with Gaara, but decided instead to have it mentioned in the next chapter. Now, let's see if I can get it right this time. Shadow Clone Jutsu! (Clone appears)

Alpha (Clone): Hey.

Alpha: It worked!

Alpha (Clone): Of course. It's me, err, I mean you, who is me but…

Alpha: Let's not make this complicated.

Alpha (Clone): Agreed.

Naruto: You finally got the jutsu down. And it only took you two days. Me it took a night.

Alpha: Excuse me for not having monstrous reserves of chakra! Considering I have no prior practice with chakra, I'd say that's quite a feat!

Naruto: Whatever.

Alpha: Come on, me. Let's go! I can finally play with someone on verses who could give me a challenge.

Alpha (Clone): You're on! I won't lose!


	25. Chapter 24 The Finals Begin

A/N: Sorry it took so long. Events in my life, Dragon Ball Super finally being dubbed, and a serious case of writer's block. I will try not to take as long, but no promises.

Chapter 24: The Finals Begin

The stadium was filled to the brim with people. The Hokage greeted the nobles who came, including the Land of Fire's feudal lord, who came with his advisors,leaving his wife and her cat Tora back at the capital along with his daughter, Naho. Finally, the Kazekage approached him. "Lord Kazekage," Hiruzen greeted.

"Ah, Lord Hokage. It's been too long," the Kazekage said. "It's good to be here. I hear the matches are gonna be especially entertaining his time around."

"Yes, you're children will be fighting the heirs of the Nara, Aburame, and Hyūga clans."

"Yes, those should prove to be interesting to watch. And I hear an Uchiha is fighting too. The last one, besides Itachi."

"Yes, Sasuke Uchiha." Hiruzen said, wondering why his fellow Kage sounded more interested in him than his own children. "He is fighting in the first round."

"I see. I'm curious how he does compared to his brother." The Kazekage let himself be lead toward the private stadium box where the two of them as well as their guards would watch the exams.

Haku and Karin sat together with Tsunami and Inari. Lee was allowed to leave the hospital to watch the match, so long as he remained under Guy's supervision. Held up by crutches, he and stood near the exit on one side of the arena while Kurenai and Asuma stood at the other end. Sakura sat with Ino, Kiba, Choji, and Tenten.

Down in the center of the arena, all the finalists waited for the start of the exams. All but two that is. Neither Dosu nor Sasuke were anywhere to be found. Soon, a man in the standard jonin attire approached. He had brown hair and eyes and a senbon in his mouth. His headband was bandana style. "I'm your proctor, Genma Shiranui." Some of the genin wondered where Hayate was since during the preliminaries he said he was gonna be proctor. But before anyone could ask, Gemma continued. "Remember to stand up straight and present yourselves proudly to the spectators, especially the nobles who've come to watch. Everyone here has come to watch you. It's important to keep in mind that your performance today will shape your ninja careers, so you want to make a good impression."

The two Kage sat down, each with a pair of ANBU for their respective by their side. Hiruzen was unnerved by the fact that Sasuke Uchiha had yet to arrive, though he hid it well. ' _I hope Orochimaru hasn't gotten his hands on him yet.'_ He stood up and approached the edge. "Welcome all, to the Chunin Exam Finals!" A large cheer went up from the crowd. "We thank you for coming to the Village Hidden in the Leaves to witness our final 9 contestant as they fight for the honor of becoming chunin!"

"Nine?" the Kazekage asked. "Aren't you missing one?"

"Hey, I forgot to mention this," Genma said, "but there's been a little change in the lineup." He took out a piece of paper and showed it to them. Most of the matches were the same, but now Shikamaru was fighting Temari while Neji would fight the winner of Naruto and Sasuke's match.

"Hmm? Did Dosu drop out?" Hinata wondered aloud. She didn't think he would. Last she saw him, he looked intent on a rematch with them. Naruto kept quiet, as he was order not to tell anyone of the former Sound nin's defection, though he was tempted to answer Hinata.

"And what if Sasuke Uchiha does not show up?" Neji asked the proctor.

"Then he forfeits and you battle Naruto Uzumaki instead," the proctor answered.

' _Well, at least I'll win the bet,'_ Naruto thought, not exactly eager to fight Hinata's cousin but would be satisfied with winning the bet.

' _I hope he does appear then. He at least could provide more of a challenge compared to Uzumaki,'_ Neji thought.

"Now, the rules of the finals are the same as the preliminaries. You fight until your opponent dies or gives up, and I can intervene and end the match if I deem it necessary. No arguments. Is that clear?" Everyone nodded. "Good. The first match is between Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki." Everyone looked, but Sasuke still hadn't arrived yet.

Up in the stands, the Hokage sighed. "Guess we'll have to disqualify him."

"Hold on," the Kazekage said before Hiruzen could give the order. "I know this seems unfair, but why not give him until the end of the other matches. After all, many of the nobles and shinobi leaders came here solely to see the Last Uchiha in action. It'd be a shame to let them down."

Hiruzen thought for a moment. "Very well. The match between Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki will be postponed." He turned to one of his guards and told him to relay the message to the proctor.

"And here I took the effort to get here on time."

The two Kage and their escorts looked back to see Jiraiya approach. "I had a feeling you were in the village, my old pupil," Hiruzen said as he dismissed his remaining guard.

"What gave it away?"

"I'd rather not talk about it in front of our guest," Hiruzen answered, gesturing to the Kazekage. "Let's just say it has to do with a report Anko gave me about a certain incident."

Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before turning the the other leader. "Lord Kazekage. A pleasure to make your acquaintance once more," Jiraiya greeted with a short bow.

"The pleasure is all mine, Jiraiya of the Sannin," the Kazekage said. Unseen by both Hiruzen and Jiraiya, his fist was clenched.

"What brings you here, though?" Hiruzen asked. It was unusual for him to stick around.

"I came to watch my student," Jiraiya responded.

"Student?" the Kazekage asked. "That's very interesting. Very interesting indeed." Hiruzen had a pretty good idea who it was.

* * *

The ANBU whispered into Genma's ear. "Ok, the first match has been postponed, so we'll move on to the second match."

"Wait, how is that fair?" Hinata demanded.

"The orders come from the Hokage. Apparently, our more important guests would be very upset if they didn't get to see the Sasuke fight, which would not be good for our village. However, if he doesn't arrive by the end of your match, he'll be disqualified regardless." Hinata huffed but with no choice accepted it. Naruto was also disappointed, as he was hoping to be able to win his bet without fighting proctor turned to Neji. "Unless you wish to start your match with Naruto Uzumaki now."

Neji thought about it for a moment before answering. "I'll wait."

Hinata looked at her cousin in confusion but Genma simply accepted it and said, "Shikamaru Nara and Temari of the Desert, stay here. The rest of you, please vacate the area."

"Man, what a drag," Shikamaru complained. "I think I'll just give up now."

"I do not think that is a good idea," Shino said. "Why? Because many people here were looking forward to Sasuke's match, but since that's been postponed, it's best to give them a fight now, or it could have negative repercussions on our village."

Shikamaru sighed. "I hate how right you are. How troublesome. Fine, I'll fight."

The other finalists left the area and went into the stands, leaving only Shikamaru and Temari. "Ok, I've already explained the rules." Genma held his hand up, then brought it down. "Begin!"

"I can't believe I have to fight because Sasuke's a no show. And it's another girl too. What a drag," the Nara heir complained.

"Geez, you Leaf shinobi really are a let down," Temari said as she grabbed her fan. "This'll be easy." She charged and swung it horizontally. Shikamaru duck, but Temari spun with her momentum, bringing the metal fan up then bringing it down to where Shikamaru was.

He jumped back and sighed. "Honestly, I'm not interested in being a chunin. Not yet anyway. But that doesn't mean I'll make this easy for you. I can't exactly lose to a girl now can I?"

"Funny, every guy I've fought has said that right before I blow them away!" Temari exclaimed as she opened her fan and swung it. The resulting wind gust cause dirt to fly into the air, blocking the Nara from her view. His friends looked down at the stadium with concern, but when the dust settled, Shikamaru was gone.

Temari looked around found him crouched in the shadow of a tree. ' _He intends to lure me there and bind me with his shadow jutsu. He must think I'm stupid if he thinks I'll fall for that.'_

Meanwhile, Shikamaru mentally groaned. ' _Seriously, why did it have to be another girl? Troublesome, and I don't even want to be a chunin yet.'_ He looked up at the sky for a brief moment. ' _Man, clouds have it best. They just drift in the sky, not a care in the world.'_ He stood up and looked at Temari. ' _Oh well. A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.'_

Temari frowned as he saw the arrogant grin on his face. ' _If he's gonna underestimate me then fine! He'll see what a big mistake that is!'_ "Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Swinging her fan, Temari sent a large gust of wind at him. Shikamaru tried to keep himself rooted in place as the attack left cuts on the trees.

Dust clouds covered the area as Temari smirked, but it was short lived as Shikamaru's shadow stretched out. It nearly touched her own shadow, but Temari reacted quickly and did a series of backflips until the shadow stopped, having reached it's limit. Letting out a sigh of relief, she looked at her opponent, the dust clouds having dissipated. Shikamaru's shadow retracted as Temari drew a line on the ground with her fan. "Clever, you almost got me. But almost won't cut it. Now I know more about your jutsu. You can manipulate any shadow you're in, not just your own. Like the wall, that's why you're over there. And now I know your limit. Fifthteen meters and thirty-two centimeters. So as long as I stay behind this line, I'm safe from your jutsu."

Shikamaru, sporting minor cuts on his arms, couldn't help but admire the way she analised his jutsu so quickly. ' _She's smarter than I thought. And judging by the skills she possesses, she's likely an expert at long range combat. What a drag.'_ Kneeling down, Shikamaru brought his hands together and formed a circle with them.

"What's that?" Kurenai asked Asuma. "Some kind of handsign?"

The smoker chuckled and shook his head. "No, nothing like that. This is just what he does when he's thinking."

"When he's thinking?"

"He's not like most ninja his age who are impulsive and like to do things quickly. No, he takes things slow, planning every move to ensure victory in the end. It's why he's so good at shogi. In fact, the only person who's ever beaten him at the game is his father. Not even I have won a match. Not a single game."

"He's definitely his father's son." Kurenai asked.

Asuma smirked as he lit a cigarette. "That's right."

"Come on Shikamaru!" Hinata yelled.

"Show her what happens when you mess with someone from Team Ino!" Ino shouted as well.

' _Is she really still calling us that?'_ Shikamaru thought with a sweatdrop as Temari sent another wind gust at him, forcing him to take cover behind one of the trees. ' _It's official. All blonds are troublesome,'_ he thinks as he removes his jacket.

"What's wrong? Can't do anything now that I've figured out your jutsu?" Temari taunted as she released another torrent of wind. "Come on! Either give up or come out and fight!"

No sooner than when the words left her mouth did a kunai burst from the cloud of dust, forcing Temari to duck. Another one came, which was blocked by her fan. Shikamaru's shadow sped toward her. Making sure she was still behind the line she drew, she smirked, knowing she was still out of her range. But it faded the moment the shadow crossed line. She barely managed to back away enough before the shadow stopped again.

"Not bad," Shikamaru complimented. "You're quick on your feet."

Temari glared at her opponent. "I should have known. You weren't just hiding, you were buying time for the wall's shadow to get longer as the sun gets lower, increasing your range." ' _I'll have to watch out for that, but if keep an eye on the sun and measure the distance he's gain from last time, I can still keep out of his range.'_

"Temari! Above you!" Kankuro warned.

"What?" the Sand kunoichi looked up to see a kunai on a parachute made using Shikamaru's jacket. It casted a shadow that touched Shikamaru's own, further increasing his range and forcing Temari to maneuver away.

"I got you now." Shikamaru's shadow continued to chase Temari until finally it reached it's limit.

Panting Temari stared at the shadow user. "And here I thought you were nothing but a slacker." ' _But things are getting dangerous. Time is not on my side. As the sun lowers, his shadow's range increases, and he might come up with more ways to extend his shadow. I need to end this now.'_ Temari hid behind her fan as she plan, unaware of the quiet hiss until it was too late. The explosion, while to far to hurt her, had knocked her away.

Right into Shikamaru's waiting shadow.

"Bout time. Shadow Possession, complete," Shikamaru said as he stood. "You focused too much on my shadow to see what else I might be doing, or notice I was leading you around."

Temari growled as her body moved against her will. She couldn't believe she had been outsmarted like that.

The crowd cheered as they expected the end of the match. Shikamaru walked over to the Sand nin. "And now it's time to finish this." He raised his hand, Temari's moving too. "I forfeit."

The audience went silent once Shikamaru uttered those words, followed by a loud collective, 'What!"

"I knew this would happen," Choji commented as he grabbed more chips.

The Nara released his jutsu, freeing Temari. "I can't continue 'cause I'm low on chakra. Which is too bad, cause I've already planned the next 200 moves in my head." Temari would have scoffed but a part of her believed he really did. "But like I said, my chakra's running low, so I'm done. Besides, if I'd won, I'd have to fight again later and that'd be such a drag."

"Winner by forfeit, Temari!" Genma announced.

The civilians boo'd the young Nara, but most of the shinobi looked at him impressed by his display of his strategizing skills.

"I should have known that lazy bum would've given up," Hinata said aloud.

"Still, his performance during the match was impressive. The way he formulated a plan and adjusted as necessary in order for it to succeed," Shino told her. "Even if he gave up at the end."

"No doubt that was part of the plan too," the Hyūga girl added. Shino couldn't help but nod at that.

"Alright. Next match is Shino Aburame vs Kankuro of the Desert. Would both combatants please come down."

"Actually proctor," Kankuro called out, "I forfeit."

"Are you sure?" Genma asked, surprised by what he was hearing.

Everyone stared at Kankuro, wondering why he would give up now. "Yeah, not as prepared as I hoped I'd be. Gotta take a knee this time."

"Ok then. Winner by forfeit, Shino." The crowd's disappointment was audible. "Ok then. Next match, will…"

He was interrupted when smoke appeared in the middle of the arena.

"Sorry, are we late?"

* * *

Alpha: Finally. Probably not my finest work, but I wanted to get this out of the way already. So since this is done, the interesting stuff is coming up next.

Naruto: More waiting?

Alpha: I know. Waiting sucks. But it'll be worth it for what I've got planned.

Naruto: Better be.


	26. Chapter 25

A/N: It's finally here! What you've all been waiting for! Cleverly titled...

Chapter 25: The Long Awaited Match

"Sorry, are we late?"

The smoke cleared to reveal Sasuke and Kakashi. The former's attire had changed since anyone last saw him. He now wore a black shirt and shorts. His left hand and forearm had bandages wrapped around them as well as a number of black bands. Those band were also located on his legs.

Genma approached them. "Consider yourselves lucky. It was decided that Sasuke's match would be postponed, but now that you're here, we can start it now. Will Naruto Uzumaki make his way down here."

Hesitantly, Naruto made his way down. Hinata flashed him a reassuring smile, but it did little to raise his spirits. As he entered an empty hallway, he heard someone call his name. "Hey Naruto!" The boy turned and spotted Kabuto waving at him. "Just wanted to wish you luck."

"Uh, t-thanks." Naruto said, not knowing what to say. Dosu had revealed that Kabuto was really working for Orochimaru, making Naruto very anxious around the bespectacled shinobi. "W-well I g-gotta g-go, so…" Naruto turned back and started walking away.

"Just one more thing." Naruto nearly jumped when he heard Kabuto whisper into his ear. "Two messages from Lord Orochimaru. The first is to warn that traitor that he'll get his one day. The second, try to make the fight interesting. My master wants to see what Sasuke can really do before the real fun starts."

Naruto turned his head, but Kabuto was gone. ' _Creepy.'_ The young continued on his way, dragging his feet. ' _What was I thinking when I made that bet with Sasuke. I can't beat him!'_

Going down a flight of stairs, he spied someone near the exit. "Yo."

"K-Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto exclaimed in surprise. "W-what are y-you doing here?"

"Did you forget about the seal in your forehead?" Kakashi asked before approaching the boy. He removed the headband and released the seal, Naruto's Rinnegan now showing. "There."

"T-thanks sensei," Naruto said as he made another handsign and his eyes returned to their normal blue state. Noticing the shocked look on Kakashi's face, Naruto explained. "I-I'd rather n-no one know yet. S-so I'm using t-the transformation jutsu."

"Ah, good idea," Kakashi complimented. "I better go. Good luck," Kakashi said as he walked past the young Uzumaki.

"W-wait," Naruto called out softly, though Kakashi managed to hear him. He turned around. "Um, d-do you think I… T-that I can…"

"Win?" the jonin finished for him. The genin nodded. "Honestly, I can't say you'll win for certain." Naruto looked crescent fallen. "But the same can be said for Sasuke. You've made great strides while training with me. So while I can't say you'll win for sure, I can say you do stand a good chance."

"T-Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." With a bit more confidence, Naruto walked out into the arena.

The long awaited match was finally about to begin.

* * *

The crowd watched as the two genin stood in the middle of the arena. "Demon brat doesn't stand a chance!" one spectator commented, as many more agreed or said something similar.

Their words reached the ears of Naruto's friends. "Unbelievable! How could they say such cruel things about him?" Tsunami asked Haku.

"Unfortunately, human beings are fearful creatures," the ice user said sadly. "They fear those who are different, and that fear brings out the worst in them."

"But how is Naruto different?" Karin asked. "I mean, he seems like any other person, besides those cute whisker marks on his face."

"There's… more to him than meets the eye," Haku answered vaguely. Karin gave him a confused look, but shrugged her shoulders and looked back down at the arena.

Hiashi sat next to his youngest daughter with a mask of indifference, but in truth he felt conflicted over the match due to the bet Neji informed him about. On one hand, Sasuke winning would keep his daughter away from Naruto, whom he perceived as a potential threat to his clan's public image and his daughter's safety. But on the other hand, if Naruto won, he'd have a valid reason to end the arrangement and hopefully win his daughter's love back.

Down at the arena. "Alright, do you remember the rules? You fight till one of you gives up, dies, or is unable to continue. And I will end the match if I deem it necessary. Understood?" Both gave a nod. "Good." Genma backed away. "Begin!"

Wasting no time, Naruto made three clones who rushed at the Uchiha. Sasuke smirked as he easily dodged one's punch, grabbing his arm and throwing him into another clone. The third went into a slide kick, which Sasuke dodged by jumping, but the real Naruto did a flying kick. Sasuke crossed his arms to block, but because he was in the air, the hit still sent him back.

Flipping in the air, he landed on his feet and dispelled the last clone with shurikens. Sasuke looked back at the real Naruto, a bored look on his face. "Is that all? Pitiful." Making a few handsigns, Sasuke inhaled deeply. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Naruto watched the stream of fire as it approached him and used one of the jutsu Kakashi taught him. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" A stream of water shot out of his mouth and collided with the fire.

Hinata looked at her friend in shock, not knowing he had learn elemental jutsu. "Alright! Get him Naruto!" she cheered.

"It appears Naruto is lucky," Shino commented. "Why? Because his element happens to be water, which can counter Sasuke's fire element."

Lee watched as the two jutsus fought for supremacy. "Guy-sensei, shouldn't Naruto's jutsu be overpowering Sasuke's?" Lee asked. "After all, water is strong against fire."

"Normally you'd be right Lee, but that's not the case here," Guy informed his student.

"That's right," Kakashi agreed. He was standing next to Guy. "While Naruto possesses the elemental advantage, his mastery over the jutsu is inferior to Sasuke's. You see, Sasuke has known the fire ball jutsu for years and has practiced it many times, whereas Naruto has known his for less than a month, making Sasuke's jutsu the stronger of the two and counteracting Naruto's elemental advantage." Kakashi turned back toward the arena. "Still, Naruto has one more advantage."

Naruto continued to pour chakra into his jutsu in order to keep it going while Sasuke was starting to feel the drain in his own reserves. Not wanting to waste more chakra than necessary, he ended the stream of fire from his mouth and narrowly dodge the jet of water that passed where his head had been.

"Let's go Sasuke!" Sakura cheered.

"Come on Naruto!" Ino shouted.

"Wha…" Sakura looked at her rival in confusion. "I thought you'd be cheering for Sasuke?"

Ino frown at the name. "I am completely over that jerk," she said harshly before continuing to cheer for her friend, leaving one very puzzled pink-haired girl.

"Huh? I don't know he already started his elemental training," Jiraiya commented.

"Yes, he had trained with Kakashi for few weeks," Hiruzen informed him.

"Copy Ninja Kakashi?" the Kazekage asked. "I heard a rumor he trained Sasuke."

"He trained both," the Hokage clarified.

Sasuke closed his eyes, then opened them, revealing his Sharingan. "Didn't think I'd be using this now." He drew two handfuls of shurikens. Naruto dropped a smoke bomb and became engulfed in smoke. "That won't save you." He threw many of the star-like projectiles, some colliding with others until the came at the smoked area from all directions.

Hinata gripped the railing, hoping none of them hurt the blond, at least too much.

The smoke dispersed and to everyone's shock, there was a dome of hardened mud with Sasuke's shurikens embedded in it.

Kurenai looked at the dome in shock. Asuma noticed the expression on her face. "You didn't know, did you?"

"I was planning to wait until after the exams to find out his element," the Genjutsu mistress admitted. "Seems Kakashi beat me to it, but there's no way he could have taught Naruto to use two elements in just a few weeks!"

"Unless he has an affinity for both. But even then, to have learned so fast…" Asuma shook his head.

Sasuke prepared to pull out a paper bomb to blow open the dome when Naruto burst through the ground and uppercutted him. His friends cheered while everyone else looked in shock as Sasuke had yet to land a single blow on the real blond.

Recovering, Sasuke growled softly. "Fine. You wanna play seriously? You got it." Sasuke rushed at Naruto before he could react and punched him in the face, then performed a sweep kick that knocked him on his back. Bringing his foot up, Sasuke brought it down. Naruto rolled out of the way and made three clones. But the moment they were made they were hit with kunai Sasuke threw, dispelling them. "Clones won't save you." Closing the gap with great speed, Sasuke unleashed a barrage of punches. Naruto crossed his arms, barely managing to block most of them

"I… I don't believe it," Lee said, wide-eye'd. "Sasuke's speed… He's almost as fast as me!"

Naruto block another punch and tried to counter with his own, but Sasuke spun around him and kicked the back of his head, sending the blond tumbling. Naruto made four clones this time. They rushed the Uchiha.

"Odd," Hinata commented. Shino and Neji looked at Hinata, silently asking her to elaborate. "I know the way Naruto fights. He usually uses more clones. He can make a hundred with ease, so usually he tries to overwhelm his opponents with numbers. So why is he using such a small amount?"

"That is a good question," Shino agreed.

Sasuke made short work of the clones as Naruto launched another stream of water from his mouth. Sasuke sidestepped it and rushed. Naruto. The young Uzumaki turned his head in an attempt to hit Sasuke with his jutsu, but the Uchiha jumped over him and kicked his back. Again, Naruto got up and turned around, only for Sasuke to appear below him, kicking him up and using Dancing Leaf Shadow to appear below him. "Lions Barrage!" Sasuke twisted his body and kicked Naruto down, then landed with a kick to Naruto's gut. All the air in the blonds body left him. Sasuke started to walk away. "He's done."

" _Just remember, no matter how many times he knocks you down, you get right back up."_ Jiraiya's words echoed in his mind. Panting, Naruto rolled over and forced himself back up. "N-no… I… I'm not…"

"Persistent little guy, isn't he?" the Kazekage commented. "Though his chances of winning are very slim."

"Well, everyone loves an underdog," Jiraiya said. ' _Good to see he's taking my words to heart.'_

"Perhaps, but this is the real world. And in the real world, the underdog loses," the Kazekage argued.

"In some cases, yes," Hiruzen admitted. "But there is always a chance for them."

Sasuke scoffed. "You just don't know when to quit." He rushed the blond, planting a fist in his gut. "It's over. You lost." He pushed him away and Naruto fell to the ground again.

"Come on Naruto! Get up and kick his ass!" Hinata shouted.

"He's lost. That was decided the moment he was assigned to fight Sasuke. You can't fight destiny," Neji told her.

"That's not true at all," Hinata argued.

"The proof is right here. Naruto started with element of surprise, but now Sasuke has the advantage. Despite all his efforts this past month, he still isn't strong enough."

Hinata shook her head. "Naruto will win. I know it."

Naruto fell to the ground again after a kick from Sasuke. "Give up already. Kicking your loser ass has gotten boring." Naruto wrapped an arm around his stomach, but still got up. Sasuke shook his head. "Fine. Have it your way."

' _Why? Why can't I beat him?'_ Naruto thought as Sasuke's onslaught began anew. ' _I trained so hard…'_

" **If you know you can't beat him, why keep getting up?"** the Nine-Tails asked.

' _Y-you know why?'_

" **That little wager you made in a feeble attempt to save your mate from the arrangement her clan made. I remember, but it makes no difference. At this rate, you'll be knocked out before you can tire him out enough."**

' _W-well… I gotta do something.'_

" **Yes. Watch this is starting to get dull. Let's kick it up a notch,"** the demon fox said with sinister snicker.

Sasuke readied the final punch to finish off his bruised and battered opponent. But when he threw the punch, Naruto's hand shot up and caught it. "What the…" He looked at Naruto in shock. Red chakra emanated from his body like an aura. His eyes turned red and slitted, since the fox decided to help keep the blond's dojutsu hidden, and his fingernails sharpened into claws. Before Sasuke could react, Naruto threw a punch with his other hand that sent the black-haired boy flying.

"Alright! Sasuke's in trouble now!" Hinata cheered while Shino looked at his blond friend, slightly weary.

Neji, however was shocked by the transformation and activated his Byakugan. ' _Where did that red chakra come from?'_ He could not pinpoint the source, but noticed the odd amount of chakra in his eyes. ' _It's like he has a dojutsu, but that's impossible.'_

Haku heard Karin gasped and turned to see her hugging herself, as if she were fearing. Fear was plastered on her face. "Something wrong?"

"N-Naruto's chakra… It's changed!" Karin exclaimed. "It's so cold and full of hate, much different from what it was before!"

"T-there's… an explanation for that," Haku said hesitantly. Karin looked at Haku, expecting said explanation. "One that I can't really give. You'll have to ask him, but it's kinda a sore subject so don't expect him to just come out with it."

"I've seen this before!" Inari commented. "It was back when he helped save our country from Gato! It was scary, but he used it to help us, so he's still good."

That calmed Karin down a bit, but the question of what happened to Naruto still lingered in her mind.

"Interesting power-up. He must be your jinchūriki," the Kazekage concluded. Neither Hiruzen nor Jiraiya said anything but watched. In the crowd, the shinobi tensed looking for any sign that Naruto would rampage.

Ino looked shock, knowing this was the power of Naruto's tenant. ' _He's still him,'_ she reminded herself. ' _He's still Naruto. Have to remember that.'_

"You ok Ino?" Sakura asked. Even though she and Ino were rivals, they were once best friends and seeing the platnium blond girl look shaken worried her.

"Fine," Ino assured with a dismissive wave, though Sakura was not convinced.

Sasuke stood up. "Quite a punch. I…" He was interrupted when Naruto dashed at him with great speed. Sasuke got ready to defend himself but Naruto passed by him. Before he could turn around, he was hit with an elbow to the back. Making two clones, the Narutos delivered a devastating onslaught of punched and kicks that overwhelmed the Last Uchiha.

"Should you ninja do something?" one spectator demanded of Kurenai and Asuma. "That brat has let the demon loose!"

"That 'brat' is my student!" Kurenai said angrily. "And until we see any real sign of him losing control, we have no reason to do anything yet!" Still, she looked at her student with concern. ' _Please keep it together Naruto.'_

The clones started to knock Sasuke up into the air. Naruto made two more clones that hit him further up. Jumping off each clone, the real Naruto did a flip in the air and delivered an axe kick the sent Sasuke crashing down.

Groaning, Sasuke struggled to get up, wiping blood from his mouth. He glared at Naruto. "You think you've won? Think again!" The curse mark started to spread across his body. "It's just getting started!"

' _This is not good!'_ Kakashi thought as he watched Naruto and Sasuke rush at each other. ' _They shouldn't be doing! Don't they realise the consequences to come?'_ Kakashi turned to the Hokage, looking for any indication to interfere with the match, but saw no such thing.

Hiruzen looked at the two combatant with concern. Both were utilizing forbidden powers not to be used lightly. An amused chuckle from the Kazekage drew him from his thoughts. "I must say, this match is more interesting than I thought it'd be."

Hiruzen motioned his student toward him. "Be ready, just in case," he whispered. Jiraiya nodded, turning to the match.

A cry of pain captured Temari and Kankuro's attention. Gaara was clutching his head, muttering to himself. "Mother! Mother please! Don't be mad! I'm sorry I fed you such disgusting blood earlier! But I'll feed you some better blood. Their blood!"

"Crap! Gaara's losing it!" Kankuro whispered to his sister.

"Gaara please, not yet!" Temari whispered to her youngest brother. "You need to wait. We have to follow the plan!"

' _Plan?'_ Shino thought, listening in on their conversation through one of his bugs.

Naruto punched at Sasuke, who leaned his head to the right to dodge and grabbed the blond's jacket, pulling him down as the black-haired boy brought his knee up, connecting with Naruto's gut. Naruto countered by grabbing Sasuke and headbutting him and kicking him away. "Enough! Time for this to end!" He jumped high into the air and landed on the side of the wall and started weaving through handsigns.

Kakashi's visible eye widened, confusing Guy. "What is it Kakashi?" He watched Sasuke grab and lower his left hand. Recognising his movements, Guy understood Kakashi's concern. "No… Kakashi, you didn't."

"I told him not to use that jutsu!" Kakashi said angrily as lightning emanated from Sasuke left hand. "Not for this match!"

The Uchiha ran down the wall at high speed, his Sharingan eyes locked onto Naruto. The blond made five clones that rushed at Sasuke. But he weaved past each one of them.

"Sasuke no!" Kakashi cried out as he ran forward, but it was too late.

"Chidori!" Sasuke thrusted his hand forward. The crowd went silent, but a few gasped could be heard...

As Sasuke's jutsu pierced through Naruto's chest.

* * *

Alpha: And so end this chapter. Hope it was worth the wait.


	27. Chapter26 Unleash The Beast,The Invasion

A/N: Sorry it took so long. My current place of residence temporarily lost power and WiFi for quite some time Can't blame it all on that though, because afterwards I got distracted by other things. And then I kept editing this. Again, really really sorry it took so long. I assure you, I'm still committed to finishing this fic.

Chapter 26: The Beast Unleashed, Begin the Invasion

For a moment, not a sound could be heard, but soon the silence gave way to the roar of the crowd as the most of the spectators began to cheer loudly, much to the disdain of Naruto's friends and the few who were sympathetic to his status as a jinchūriki.

But to Hinata, there was nothing but the sight of Sasuke's hand through Naruto's chest. Shino looked at his friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hinata, I…"

"It's a clone," Hinata suddenly said.

"I have been monitoring the entire fight," Neji spoke. "And…"

"It's a clone!" Hinata insisted. "Just look. That Naruto will poof away and the real one will pop up." She turned back to the arena. "You'll see." The clones Naruto made poofed away, one after the other. "Here it comes." The last clone poofed away, but the Naruto who was stabbed remained, even as Sasuke pulled his hand out of his chest. Hinata watched as Naruto dropped to his knees and fell forward. "No…" she whispered. "No no no… He can't… He can't be…" Tears formed in her eyes.

"Woah, brutal," Kakuro commented. "I didn't think a leaf shinobi would kill one of their own." Temari nodded, surprised by the outcome, though most of her focus was on her other brother, who had a hand to his head and was muttering words she couldn't make out but left her feeling uneasy. "Oh well. Too bad for him."

Kakashi looked at his sensei son. ' _It's my fault,'_ he thought. ' _It's my jutsu that did this. I'm sorry sensei, Kushina.'_

Asuma put a hand on Kurenai shoulder as the Genjutsu Mistress stared sadly at her fallen student. It was not the first time someone she knew died. Her parents and a few friends of hers have died in the line of duty. That came with the job. But still, her student was young and just starting out.

Inari started to cry against his mother while Karin clung to Haku for emotional support. Haku did her best but he himself was having trouble keeping it together. It had not been that long since he lost his master Zabuza, and now he had watch another precious person fall.

Ino, Choji, Kiba, and even Sakura looked in horror at what Sasuke had done. ' _It's the curse mark. It has to be! That's the only reason I can think of to explain why Sasuke would do this!'_ the pink-haired girl reasoned in her mind.

"Bastard! How could he?" Kiba growled.

Sasuke crouched down leaned toward the fallen genin. "This is because of your stubbornness," he whispered. "You shouldn't have tried to beat an elite." Naruto didn't saying anything as his vision faded.

* * *

" **Well, this is annoying."**

Naruto opened his eyes and found himself lying face up in the sewer that was his mindscape, slowly sinking. He tried to move his body, but found he could do no more than turn his head. So he turned it to the right and looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox. "What… What happened?" He felt so tired. So weak.

" **You're dead, or rather dying. The only things keeping you alive are me and your Uzumaki heritage."**

"I just… can't believe… Sasuke would…"

" **You kill you? Really?"** the fox said in disbelief. " **All your life, people have wanted to kill you. You know that."**

"But… they never…"

" **The only reason they never killed you was because if you died, your Hokage would have hunted them down. Not because he cares, but because they would have weakened the village's strength by ridding it of it's jinchūriki and disrupting the balance of power."**

"No… he…"

" **Humans are all the same. They're selfish. They hate what is different and only tolerate it so long as they can use it. To those in charge you're nothing more than a tool! A weapon!"**

"No…"

" **You can hear them, can't you?"** the demon asked. " **Their cheers? They celebrate your death!"**

He could. He could hear them. He could hear the roar of the crowd as they cheered Sasuke on for what he did. "Stop it…"

" **He's gonna get away with it too. The chunin exams allow killing, even if it's someone from your own village."**

"Stop…"

" **And then you'll fade from the memories of your 'friends'."**

"No more... Please..."

A devious smirk formed on the demon's fox's face. " **And what of the little Hyūga girl, assuming she survives the coming invasion."** Naruto's eyes widened. " **Will she give in to the her father's wishes and marry Sasuke?"**

"No… Never…" Naruto's hands clenched as the image of such an event popped in his head.

And the fox's grin only grew more. " **Perhaps not, but then what will become of her? Will she be dragged to him against her will?"** The boy's teeth gritted. " **Will she run and be hunted down? Killed or given her clan's seal?"** He shut his eyes and tried to cover his ears, not wanting to hear anymore. " **Or will everything that's happened be too much, and she succeeds where you failed all those years ago."**

"No…" The image of the girl he loved lying face down in a pool of red with a bloody kunai was more than he could bear. "Hinata…"

" **No matter what happens after this, she will suffer. And the very people you seek to be accepted by, who reject you time and time again, will the ones who cause it."**

Naruto didn't say anything, could say anything. His mind was plagued with horrible flashes of Hinata's future. And as the images seared themselves into his brain, the boy stood, suddenly having the energy to move, and walked toward one of the bars of the Nine-Tails's cage, as if in a trance, and touched it. The fox demon's clawed finger touched the other side and red chakra poured out. **"** **They call you monster. Show them what a real monster looks like."** It flowed into the boy, who felt invigorated, overflowing with power…

And overflowing with hate...

* * *

Genma sighed as he looked at the fallen genin. It was always sad to see a shinobi die so young, but it wasn't that uncommon nor against the rules of the final exam. "The winner is..."

He didn't get to finish, interrupted by the explosion of red chakra emanating from the young blond that knocked him off his feet, same with Sasuke, and silencing the cheers.

Sasuke pushed himself off the ground and looked at Naruto in disbelief as the blond stood on his feet. "Impossible," he muttered softly as the blond genin began to stand.

Hinata's eyes lit up. "He's ok! He's ok!"

"Hinata." The young Hyūga looked toward Shino, from whom loud buzzing noises could be heard, as if something was agitating his insects. "I fear that is not the case."

She about to asked what he was talking about when she saw it. The red chakra had formed a dense, transparent cloak in the shape of a fox.

And the chakra cloak had engrossed everyone's attention so much, no one noticed the ripple pattern in his eyes.

None but a few that is.

Jiraiya's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. ' _He… He has Nagato's eyes! But how?'_

The Fourth Kazekage was also stunned by this new development. "I must say, this match has been more entertaining and enlightening then I had suspected it would be."

The Hokage ignored him, much too focused on these developments.

* * *

The killing intent Sasuke was feeling was suffocating. And the strangest thing was that it was all coming from Naruto. Then, faster than Sasuke could see even with his Sharingan, the young jinchūriki had closed the gape between them and with a roundhouse kick to the side, sent Sasuke flying across the arena. Sasuke managed to recover, but not fast enough as Naruto was once again upon and unleashed a devastating punch that hit Sasuke's cheek and knocking him down. Rubbing his jaw and seeing that it isn't broken, Sasuke backed back, figuring he'd have the advantage if he fought him at a distance. But Naruto swiped his hand, and a chakra claw extended out doing the same, scratching Sasuke's chest and drawing blood. Sasuke started going through the handsigns for his fire jutsu, but the chakra claw slammed into him and pinned him to a wall. Naruto forced his chakra hand to dig deeper into the wall, slowly crushing Sasuke against the wall. Sasuke let out a cry of pain as he felt his ribs start to crack.

Genma managed to get back on his feet. ' _Not good! They're taking this too far! I need to end this before it gets even worse.'_ "Enough! As proctor I'm..."

"No!" Sasuke shouted as the curse mark started engulfing his entire body. "It's not over!" Similar to what happened to Naruto, dark purple chakra exploded from his body, releasing him the the grip of Naruto's chakra claw. His skin turned dark grey, same with the whites of his eyes. His hair grew longer and changed to a dark shade of blue. A black cross mark marred the bridge of his nose, and webbed hand-like wings grew from his back.

Anko gasped. "He's unlocked the second stage?! How?"

At the top of the stadium, Kabuto, disguised as an ANBU, smirked.

* * *

 _Flashback: Approximately one month ago_

"So this will help me unlock the full power of the curse mark?" Sasuke asked he looked at the pill in his hand that Kabuto gave him. The two were in the forest, away from prying eyes. "What's the catch?"

"Well, for it to work, you'll have to die," Kabuto answered, which Sasuke responded to by raising his eyebrow. "That's where this comes in," he tapped the large barrel next to him.

"And this will make me stronger than Itachi?"

"It'll be the first real step on the true path to power you'll need to take," the bespectacled ninja replied. "You're curse seal is only in its first stage. That pill with simulate and advance it to its second level. However the increase in the seal's power will also increase its affect on you body, killing you. You'll need to spend a few hours in this barrel in a death-like state in order to allow your body to get accustomed to it."

"Tempting as it is, I'm supposed to trust you? A spy?" Kabuto had revealed his true allegiance, seeing as it was pointless to keep it a secret since Dosu already blabbed about it to the Hokage.

"Your death gives us nothing Sasuke. Making you strong furthers Lord Orochimaru's goals. After all, we're no friend of Itachi's either."

Sasuke looked at the little pill in his hand and thought for a moment. "Fine. Let's get this over with." He popped it in his mouth.

* * *

 _Present_

' _Seems it was worth it. I feel so much more powerful now!'_ Sasuke thought as he spread his new wings.

Karin had collapsed. The malice in both Naruto and Sasuke's chakra was too much for her. Sakura gasped, unable to comprehend what had happened to her fellow leaf genin. ' _Sasuke, what has happened to you?'_

The other rookie genin were also in a state of shock. Choji even dropped his bag of chips. "It looks like things are getting really crazy," Kiba remarked as he tried to comfort Akamaru, who was shivering in fear under the pressure of their enormous power.

Naruto released a primal growl before charging at Sasuke and threw a punch. Sasuke jumped into the air, and with the help of his wings, hovered in the air while Naruto's attack hit the wall, leaving a crater. Sasuke then used his Phoenix Flower Jutsu and rained fire upon the enraged jinchuriki, who dodged and weaved to avoid the deadly fireballs. He then dive bombed Naruto and drove him into the ground. Sasuke flew back up and unleashed a large, powerful fireball toward his down opponent.

But the flaming projectile was knocked aside by Naruto's chakra tail and the boy stood once more. He reach out and a chakra hand shot toward Sasuke. The flying Uchiha tried to dodge, but the hand managed to grab his leg. Sasuke hissed as the chakra burned his skin before being slammed into the ground. But Naruto wasn't done as he flipped Sasuke overhead and slammed him back down again, repeating the process three more times before throwing him against the wall.

Sasuke pulled himself out, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "That all you got?" he taunted as he charge.

* * *

Sakura gasped as she watched to two boys battle. ' _W-what… What happened to them?'_ She looked to Sasuke just as he recovered from a kick Naruto hit him with. ' _Sasuke…'_

' _How?'_ Neji thought as he stared at Naruto. ' _That boy was the deadlast, so how can he have this kind of power?'_

Kankuro and Temari stared down at the arena surprised by how powerful their chakra felt and the damage their battle was causing. They never felt anything like this except when Gaara was on a rampage. "Those two… They're monsters!" The puppeteer remarked.

"Naruto isn't a monster!" Hinata yelled at him, angered by the remark. "He's just... Not in his right mind at the moment," she said. _'Come on Naruto. This isn't you! Please, fight it!'_

The sand puppeteer was about to retort when a loud, blood-curdling scream. "Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" All the genin looked back and gasped at what they saw. Kankuro was the only one to speak, managing to utter a single phrase.

"Oh shit."

* * *

"That enough, both of you! This match is over and if you two continue to fight, you'll both be disqualified," Genma informed them. But his words fell on deaf ears as the two powered up genin continued to fight with no sign of stopping anytime soon.

From the box where the two kage and Jiraiya watched, the Hokage motioned for one of his ANBU, who appeared next to him seemingly from nowhere. "Tell you men to be ready to intervene on my signal," he whispered. The ANBU nodded and vanished. "Jiraiya."

"Got it," he responded, knowing what his teacher wanted of him. He took out two chakra-suppressing seal tags to use on Naruto and Sasuke, in case the ANBU failed to stop them, and once the two were incapacitated, he would check Naruto's seal for any compromising changes.

Sasuke pinned Naruto against the wall, but a headbutt from the jinchūriki followed by a claw swipe forced Sasuke away and left scratches on his left cheek. And Naruto wasn't done yet as he slammed into the Uchiha shoulder first and knocked him further away. Sasuke managed to recover and stared at Naruto, enraged by the damage he had taken. Naruto stared back with equal malice.

Genma was about to forcibly subdue them when all of a sudden, streak flew from where the finalists were watching the match and landed in between the two powered-up fighter, kicking up dust.

"Hehehe, your blood…" The dust cleared to show Gaara, but he was different. The left half of his body was consumed in sand and molded into the form of the demon Shukaku. "You're blood... will make mother happy!" he shouted, laughing like a madman as he send a waves of sand against both Naruto and Sasuke.

* * *

Kabuto waited where he was and saw a subtle handsign from the Fourth Kazekage. That was his cue. _'Now the fun really begins,'_ he thought as he went through the necessary handsigns.

* * *

Feathers rain down on the audience confusing them until one by one, they fell asleep. Hinata felt her eyelids grow heavy as fatigue washed over her. _'Wha... What is...'_ She yawn as her legs turned to jelly and she had to hold on to the railing for support. _'How... am I... so... tired?'_ And then it hit. _'Is this... genjutsu?'_ She tested her theory by using the genjutsu release technique and her fatigue faded. She saw that Shino and Neji had also broken the genjutsu's hold on them, but Shikamaru was out cold. Hinata ran to him to released the genjutsu _,_ but when she did, he was still asleep. She tried two more times but still he did not stir. "Why isn't this working?" She used her Byakugan to check his chakra network, and was confused by what she saw. "Odd, his chakra network is normal, but he's still... Wait a minute." An annoyed look came across her face. "Are you seriously trying to take a nap right now? Something weird is going on so get up!" she yelled.

Shikamaru groaned and opened his eyes. "Troublesome woman. Fine. Can't blame a guy for trying."

Hinata walked over to Shino and her cousin. "What's going on anyway? First Gaara goes nuts, then a genjutsu knocks almost everyone out, and it looks like the other Sand guys have disappeared."

"Just take a look," Neji told her.

Hinata did so and was surprised by what she was seeing. There were civilian that seemed unaffected by the genjutsu and they began attacking Leaf shinobi, revealing themselves to be Sand and Sound shinobi in disguise. "Huh? But I thought the Hidden Sand was our ally?"

"It seems that is no longer the case," Shino concluded. "I suggest we return to our respective senseis for orders." The genin nodded and left to look for their teachers in a hurry.

Because the invasion had begun. And it would take everything they had to survive.

* * *

Alpha: It's finally done. Again, really sorry everyone. But when I was on a roll with this chapter, life took away power. And WiFi. And my computer charger. That was not a good time.

Naruto: At least you're finally back. But next chapter, finish quicker.

Sasuke: He's right. The sooner you finish this story, the sooner you can start one that doesn't make we a villain. Because I'm not a villain, I'm an anti-hero. Big difference.

Alpha: Working on it. I hope you enjoy this chapter and look forward to the rest of this arc. Things are gonna continue to stray from the show, with a major difference in the next arc. So, something to look forward to.


End file.
